


as if!

by idlesong



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Clueless AU, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Teen Romance, blip of hyuckhei, mentions of recreational drug use and underage drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-06-15 03:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15403536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idlesong/pseuds/idlesong
Summary: As a yellow-plaid donning elite of his high school, Donghyuck has always resolved to use his boyish charms and popularity for the greater good. When the new kid Jaemin shows up, shy and hopeless, Donghyuck promises to work his magic.Turns out Donghyuck can be clueless too.(Clueless!AU)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> for [mel](http://twitter.com/nahyuck). happy birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF i've been meaning to write this forever...i love clueless, i love nahyuck, and i love the dreamies so here we are with something that fulfills all three !! this isn't going to strictly follow clueless' plot but there'll be similarities and references to the film (although watching it isn't necessary for context).

So okay, sometimes even Donghyuck questioned how his life turned out this way. He doesn’t think badly of it at all, he merely wonders how he could have been born into such fortunate circumstances. The foundation of which includes living in a mansion with his litigator mother who allowed them to afford such an exquisite lifestyle as well as a kindly (step-)brother who didn’t let the hyphen of their relation affect them from acting as kin. Not once has Donghyuck taken his luck for granted, which is why he does his best to be a person who reflects the good place he’s from, although sometimes he couldn’t help but get caught in unintentional scandal.

Donghyuck revels in every aspect of his life. To be ungrateful for his blessings would be atrocious, when they come in so many wonderful forms such as a beautiful home, a best friend in Renjun, and crucially, his ever-expanding wardrobe.

This morning, like most, Donghyuck splits his routine based on his grooming habits. He spends some time on his hair, as well as his impeccable skin care routine, and most importantly, he picks an outfit that sets the tone for his entire day. Wearing something spectacular and, although this goes without saying, _pulling it off_ is practically his job.

His elaborate walk-in closet, practically a room of its own, is implemented with a computer system with files of every piece of clothing he owns. Every morning Donghyuck sits in front of the magical screen and puts outfits together until the device tells him that he’s created a cohesive look. Today, though? Today Donghyuck settles for ol’ reliable. His yellow plaid ensemble that makes him feel like the world is his bitch. (It is.)

There’s never one wrinkle on Donghyuck’s blazer, because he would rather be caught wearing something _off-season_ (he wants to ralph at the thought) than be seen with an imperfection in his signature outfit. This yellow plaid is his because he’s defined it, it’s the symbol for all the authority he wields, and he looks mad cute in it too. He gives himself a once-over in his rearview mirror just before laying into the horn, alerting Renjun of his arrival and frightening the stray cat of the neighbourhood.

“Sorry, Ms. Whiskers!” Donghyuck chirps as the brunette feline scampers away, her long tail flicking defiantly in Donghyuck’s direction. Not a minute later Renjun is plodding down the steps of his front door’s exquisite staircase, a stone walk-around to the centrepiece of a fountain featuring a naked cupid baby that Donghyuck _swears_ is the spitting image of his best friend.

“Morning, honeybun,” Renjun chimes as he climbs into the passenger seat of the Jeep Wrangler Donghyuck received for his 16th birthday. He hadn’t gotten his “official” driver’s license, per se, but he looks cute as hell on his learner permit card and…What point is he trying to make again?

Besides, it’s not like he’s going to settle for rolling up to school by public transit when he has this shiny car to flaunt. Once upon a time he and Renjun would swap chauffeurs and carpool every day, but those days are of the past. They no longer slum it like they used to.

If Donghyuck can drive himself and his best friend to school doing no more damage than knocking over a mailbox or two in the process, he damn sure will.

“Renjun, _what_ is on your head?” Donghyuck asks with a guffaw. The other boy sticks his tongue out at him. He’s in a plaid outfit himself, although his is black-and-white with a red vest in contrast to Donghyuck’s entirely yellow colour palette.

“It’s called a newsboy cap, you cretin,” Renjun scoffs.

“Here’s some news, boy. You look like Oliver Twist,” Donghyuck retorts.

Renjun shakes his head with a laugh. “Drive. I don’t wanna be late for English. I’m monopolizing the discussion on _Emma_ today.” As Donghyuck turns the ignition on, Renjun pulls the brim of his cap down to shade his eyes from the sun.

“That’s my boy. Making himself be heard,” Donghyuck says as he presses his foot on the gas. Oddly, the car idles in place.

“And that’s _my_ boy, forgetting to shift gears,” Renjun coos, taking one of Donghyuck’s hands and placing it on said gear shift.

“Just testing you, love. Sharp as always.” Donghyuck winks before speeding off at a pace that wouldn’t dare mess up his hair. “I don’t even know why Mr. Seo’s teaching you _Emma_ of all things. Could that _be_ any more hetero?”

 

As much as he tries to maintain an aura of positivity and an outlook of optimism, Donghyuck can’t help but bemoan the mundanity of high school. He’s sick of seeing the same faces every day, going through the same routines, flitting his way about the premises with nothing compelling him to go this way or that. None of it was at all new or exciting, both of which are qualities Donghyuck demands everything he comes across to possess.

As he and Renjun walk through the quad during their lunch period, getting looks from every group of people sitting in the grassy sidelines, Donghyuck airs his grievances.

“I’m bored, Renjun,” he complains.

“We’ve only got a couple more hours, dear. After that we’ll haul ass to the mall,” Renjun says consolingly, although it seems nothing but perfunctory with the attention Renjun’s giving to the book in his hands.

“No. I’m saying I’m bored of this place. We’re the most popular boys in school but it hardly seems to mean much,” Donghyuck sighs.

“I don’t know what _you’re_ talking about, but I’m having fun. We’re always up-to-date on all the gossip and we’re hardly at a loss for company,” Renjun says, marking his page with a dog-eared corner. “Plus, Shuhua told me in homeroom that Yukhei says you give him a toothache.”

Donghyuck smiles at that, lifts his head to scan the area for Yukhei and his group of friends who always clustered together with the bond of athleticism. When he catches the upperclassman’s eyes, he waves and blows a kiss in his direction, to which Yukhei grins almost maniacally widely.

“It’s cute of him to think I’m sweet, I guess,” Donghyuck hums, watching the chaos that unfolds amongst the group of rowdy boys after he’s paid them some attention. “But he’s not really my type.”

“At this point I’m convinced no one’s your type,” Renjun snorts. “Either that or you’re horribly picky.”

“Quite the possibility,” Donghyuck says with a nod. “I don’t need a boyfriend though, I need some kind of challenge. Something that gives me fulfillment. Something that does some good for others.”

“Sounds like we could do some more matchmaking. Who could use it?” Renjun asks, hand on his chin in a contemplative fashion. The more Donghyuck stares, the better the newsboy cap is beginning to look. Maybe Renjun is onto something.

“What about…Jungwoo?” Donghyuck pitches. His drama class’s teaching assistant is absolutely adorable, loves the subject with every fibre of his being and loves teaching enough to forgive Donghyuck for forgetting his lines and ad-libbing the death of Julius Caesar. (“Donghyuck, Julius Caesar’s dying words were not _Damn, you too, bro? Guess I’ll die._ ” “Well, Jungwoo, if you think about it. They kind of were.”)

Renjun nods thoughtfully, processing the information before a realization dawns on him, his expression brightening before his words are even out. “Jungwoo and Ten! They would be so cute together!” he says excitedly, and as soon as he pictures Renjun’s dance TA next to Jungwoo, it makes a miraculous amount of sense.

"They're both such nerds for their art, they'd be all over each other if given the chance. We have to do it!" There's a plethora of schemes running through Renjun's mind already, Donghyuck can tell by the devious curl of his lips. Donghyuck has a similar expression because as much as he does his for the good of others, he also loves the mischief of it all.

Matchmaking hadn't been a trained specialty of any sort, but ever since his first successful case (involving his goofy brother, amazingly) Donghyuck realized he had a gift he would use to help others as much as he could. Donghyuck is good at understanding people, has an intuition that makes it easy for him to discern what others want out of him and each other. If the opportunity arose to make people happier because of it, then he feels it's his duty to take full advantage of it.

"As soon as I inhale my ham & cheese croissant, we're lighting this firework," Donghyuck declares. "I already know what step one should be."

 

In fourth grade, Donghyuck had nary an idea as to why penmanship classes would be so important. To his understanding, he would never have the need to write in cursive aside from signing the occasional autograph for an adoring fan. Besides, he thought he'd be better off giving them a glossy lip print on their spiral-bound notebooks instead.

However, it all comes together now as he peeks over Renjun's practiced hand composing a written note to slip into Jungwoo's staff mailbox, the decorative cursive adding a certain _je ne sais quoi_ to the lovely sentiment Donghyuck is reciting in Renjun's ear.

"Start a new line, then write 'You shine like the stars, you light up my heart,'" Donghyuck whispers, watching Renjun dictate the words with precision.

"That's pretty. Is it like, T.S Eliot?" Renjun asks, blowing lightly on the page to allow the ink to dry.

"No, it's EXO," Donghyuck says with a nod. "Sign it, 'from a secret admirer', but put the number ten next to it."

"Genius," Renjun mumbles, twirling the last letter prettily. "I've got to say, this is some of my best work. This is mad gorgeous."

"Our powers are being used for the most gorgeous of outcomes," Donghyuck sighs. "We should probably put this away before class starts."

As if on cue, the bell rings to signal the end of the period. Renjun hurriedly rips the page out of his notebook and puts it into the appropriate mailbox. Immediately following the delivery Donghyuck and Renjun straighten out their postures and Act Normal by the door of the drama department's office, not batting an eye when Jungwoo comes to collect his mail, giving nothing but a smile to the two juniors upon seeing them.

Donghyuck and Renjun turn away from seeing Jungwoo's whole reaction, not wanting to appear overly suspicious in their involvement, but are crestfallen to see that, by the time they turn around, Jungwoo has already let himself into the office.

However, during the last period of the day, Donghyuck comes into the drama classroom and sees Jungwoo reading the note fondly, eyes scanning up and down the page again and again until his face turns a pretty shade of pink.

 

"It was _dumb_ cute, I wish you had been there to see it!" Donghyuck squeals as he rifles through a rack of trouser pants. He wants something with a floral motif for the season, but he's stumped as to what would work. He could opt to send something to an embroider, but he would much rather have something call to him and declare itself as his.

"I wish I had been there too," Renjun sighs. "But we need to think of something to do for Ten too. He’s only at school Tuesdays and Thursdays, so we have an opportunity tomorrow. How do we get them to notice each other?”

"Get them in the same vicinity with a reason to talk and see if sparks fly," Donghyuck says with a hum. He picks up a pair of corduroy overalls and holds them up to his body, scrutinizing his reflection in the nearest mirror. "Thoughts?"

"They definitely know of each other. All the TAs do. They might even go to the same university. We should drop their names to each other. See if that illicits a reaction," Renjun says, looking away from the mirror in front of him to Donghyuck. "Those are cute but I think you could do better."

"Valid," Donghyuck nods, returning the overalls to their rack. "Jungwoo just deserves the _world_."

"So does Ten," Renjun says fondly. "Those two chaotic bisexuals deserve each other. And speaking of, how is Jaehyun?"

Donghyuck snorts. "He's fine. He called me yesterday. Grossly in love as always. I almost miss that twerp."

"You talk about him like you're the older brother," Renjun laughs, switching out the cap on his head to try on a plaid one. "How's this?"

"I practically am. Jaehyun wishes he had me watching his back in the big bad world of university," Donghyuck says. "Okay, I'm starting to get annoyed with how you're pulling it off. Can you not look good in something for once?"

Renjun shakes his head with a triumphant grin. "Sorry, king. I've gotta look good while you drive me around town," he says. "Are you taking your test soon?"

"Yeah, but the DMV is backed up as usual and couldn't schedule me for another two months. I'm already an amazing driver so it'll be fine."

"You ran a stop sign this morning," Renjun reminds him with a tut.

Donghyuck shrugs his yellow plaid blazer back onto his shoulders and swings his shopping bags around. "I totally paused. Time moves slower when you're the one making the world turn."

 

"Excuse me, Ten!" Renjun chirps, fingers fluttering in greeting upon seeing the older man on the fashionable duo's fourth lap around the dance hall. Ten is easily spotted amongst the leotard-wearing students, sporting his usual colourful attire. Donghyuck admired the bold choice of purple whenever he happened to see the teaching assistant wearing it. Warm tones suit his own complexion far better, but he's still waiting for the day he can wear his cool pink jumpsuit with full confidence.

"What's up, Renjun?" Ten asks with a smile, lowering his headphones to hang around his neck. They, too, are a pretty shade of violet.

"Well, my friend Donghyuck and I were wondering how we could go about getting involved in the arts council. We've heard it's totally fulfilling and stuff. Jungwoo was praising it a lot, wasn't he? Saying how impressive it was that you're accomplishing so much with an extracurricular too, wasn't he, Donghyuck?" Renjun places a well-timed, very rehearsed hand on his friend's shoulder.

“He did?” Ten asks with some intrigue, the origin of which is difficult to currently pinpoint. “Well, if you’re interested then you’ll want to talk to Sunwoo, he’s more involved in student coordination. I’m just there to sign all the right forms. But…”

“But?” Donghyuck asks, batting his eyelashes.

“If Jungwoo would ever want to contribute we could use a rep from the drama department—“ Ten cuts himself off. “Maybe I’ll just talk to him about it myself.”

“Sounds like a plan! He’s in the drama office periods two and five on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Renjun says.

“That’s room 205. Sometimes he’s in room 207 when he’s helping a class,” Donghyuck adds. “And he prefers green tea to coffee. Dogs over cats too. Comedies over tragedies, but loves _King Lear_.”

Ten laughs, although he gives both juniors a strange look in the process. “Next you’re going to tell me how he likes his eggs in the morning,” he jokes.

“Scrambled,” Donghyuck says without hesitation.

“Well, uh, thanks. I’ll keep that all in mind,” Ten says, looking slightly confused by the whole situation. “Periods two and five, you said?”

They nod in unison.

“Okay, good to know. I’ll see you in the studio, Renjun.” Ten nods before ducking into the dance office, after which Donghyuck can see the older man tilt his head, as though in thought.

Donghyuck turns to Renjun for a high-five.

 

"Hi Jungwoo, Renjun and I just baked these cookies in home ec. Would you like some?" Donghyuck asks, holding out a silver tray of heart shaped sugar cookies.

"That's so sweet of you, Donghyuck. I'd love one," Jungwoo says with a smile.

"Oh, take two!" Renjun grins, pushing the tray further into Jungwoo's hands. "Take the whole thing. Share with the other TAs."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly—They’re yours!"

"We, uh, can't have these. It's part of my diet not to eat anything red. Red meat mostly but red frosting counts too," Donghyuck says, looking to Renjun for confirmation. "Right? If I even have one I'll be undoing all of my progress."

"Weren't you having a strawberry poptart in class?" Jungwoo asks curiously.

"Exactly, he's already doing poorly! Don't enable him any further, Jungwoo," Renjun pleads.

"Well, wouldn't you like them, Renjun?"

“I’m allergic to sugar," Renjun deadpans, shoving the bag of gummy bears in his pocket further down his pants as a precaution.

"Take them, please. It'd be a favour to us! You could even share some with uh, Ten, maybe?" Donghyuck suggests. "He loves...heart-shaped things."

"He wears an awful lot of Commes des Garçons, you know," Renjun supplies, although it doesn't seem to aid Jungwoo's understanding.

"Oh...Okay," Jungwoo says with a confused but well-meaning smile, taking the tray in its entirety from Donghyuck's hands. "I'll see you later, guys. Good luck on your diet, Donghyuck."

The juniors, today dressed in what one may describe as deconstructed tuxedos, with Donghyuck wearing the vest and Renjun wearing the sash, their separate outfits seemingly part of the same gaudy powder blue suit, wave Jungwoo away with enthusiasm. With as much discretion as they can, they follow closely after him, wanting to observe whether their farfetched plan would actually work.

Jungwoo does actually find Ten—in a secluded corner of the quad, actually, where Ten is practicing his half hour of yoga for the day that Donghyuck and Renjun just _might_ have already known about. It could have been discouraging for Jungwoo to go up to Ten in that state, closed eyes and zen’d out in a tree pose, but he does anyway, and Ten immediately brightens up.

“Oh my god, is Ten _blushing_?” Donghyuck asks with a gasp.

“That’s so cute, ugh,” Renjun gushes. “We’re geniuses. Prodigies. Cupids on earth.”

Jungwoo laughs at something Ten says, and Donghyuck sighs. “We should do this for a living.”

 

If Donghyuck didn’t have phys. ed with Renjun he’s sure he’d always ditch. No one else could match his tennis abilities after all, no matter how expensive the others boasted their personal trainers to be. There’s no one more powerful than Donghyuck in a pair of white Keds and a monogrammed sweatband.

The both of them are lacing up their shoes when Renjun realizes Mr. Nakamoto’s nowhere to be seen, although they’re already ten minutes into the hour.

“If he doesn’t show up I’m going to be mad for the sheer fact that I got changed for this,” Renjun says with a huff. Donghyuck’s inclined to agree. Their gym teacher is a lot of things—eccentric, lively, frightening at times—but they’ve never known him to be unpunctual.

“Here he comes now,” Donghyuck says, seeing Mr. Nakamoto finally coming out of the building and onto the field, nodding at all of the other students in greeting. There’s another person trailing behind him, head ducked, books tucked into his arms curled into himself.

“Sorry I’m late, boys,” Mr. Nakamoto says. “We have a new addition to our class. This is Na Jaemin.”

Jaemin, seemingly startled to have heard his own name, lifts his head quickly. Oh no, Donghyuck thinks, he’s horribly meek, for good reason. It’s halfway through the school year, of course he isn’t ecstatic to be in this situation. No one would be.

Upon first observation, Jaemin is the antithesis of the high school’s populace. There’s no predicability in the way he looks or dresses, no means of attaching him to an archetype that would inform what kind of person he is. In his floral-embroidered denim jacket and beat-up high tops, he’s practically a blank slate.

Donghyuck hums to himself. “Interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you're enjoying this so far! future chapters will follow shortly. recommended listening for this is just shoop.mp3 on loop. there are no other options.
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/ten7s) | [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/idlesong) | [wip list](http://sihyun.carrd.co#wip)


	2. Chapter 2

The new transfer can’t get out of Donghyuck’s head. Although Jaemin had yet to acquire gym clothes for himself, he participated in the activities for the period before timidly shuffling off to his next class. Donghyuck wonders where he’s from, what he wants to do, whether Donghyuck could be of any help to him. This convoluted mess of a high school sometimes acted so quintessentially it seemed like it was parodying itself, and Donghyuck wouldn’t wish anyone to have to navigate it blindly.

“So, I think we should take on a new project,” Donghyuck says as he and Renjun walk down the steps of the school entrance. “Since our Ten and Jungwoo thing has been going well so far.”

“Work on our science project, you mean?” Renjun asks quizzically. Today he’s decided his fashion statement are a pair of micro-sunglasses with red lenses that point at their edges, perched far enough down his nose bridge that they could hardly function practically.

“No way,” Donghyuck says, before dragging his friend by the arm into the quad. As expected, Jaemin is sitting on the edge of a tree’s stone planter, a book folded open in his lap. “Let’s help the new kid.”

“Help him with what?” Renjun asks. “His hair colour? That black is fine, but it’s not doing him any favours either. I guess the converse are cute, but in a mildly edgy way.”

“No, I mean, like, we’ve got to adopt him. Take him under our wing and make him one of us.” The idea’s been on Donghyuck’s mind for the past few days. For whatever reason he’s become too invested in the potential not to voice it out loud.

“I’m sure he’s nice and all but Donghyuck…” Renjun trails off, lowering his voice. “Our stock could _plummet_.”

“It’s about doing something nice for someone else. We should use our popularity for a good cause!” Donghyuck declares, quite stoically. “Plus, you should never be worried about that. Who’d take our place? Mark and Yukhei?” He scoffs.

“I mean, I guess if you’re sure…I’m on board,” Renjun says, after some consideration. “Let’s, maybe, invite him to lunch? Show him the ropes?”

“Sounds like a good start.” Donghyuck nods. They closer and closer approach Jaemin, who, when finally unable to ignore their proximity, looks up at them like he’s about to be eaten.

"Hey! Jaemin, right? We're in your gym class," Donghyuck starts off, before holding his hand out. "I'm Donghyuck, and this is Renjun. Do you wanna grab lunch with us?"

"Me?" Jaemin asks, wide-eyed. It takes him a moment to realize he should take Donghyuck's hand, which he does with a cautious reluctance. "Okay, yeah."

"Where are you from, Jaemin?" Renjun asks, the three of them stepping back onto the stone path of the quad.

"Way southeast, I used to live near the coast," he explains, hiking the strap of his backpack further up his shoulder. "My parents had to move here for work."

"Oh, the coast? We have a beach house down there too," Donghyuck comments, not failing to notice how Jaemin looks surprised to hear that. "Any reason you're going to this school in particular?"

"Uh, my parents heard it was good. Want me to get into a good university," Jaemin says. "But I didn't know how...weird this place, would be?" He stops himself when Renjun sends him a look of confusion.

"No offence!" he clarifies. "It's just like, everyone acts so differently here than I'm used to."

"Yo, Injunnie! Injun!" All three of them turn their heads to see Mark jogging their way, wearing apparently the only pair of jeans he owns and the same hoodie every basketball player on the team wears in a show of solidarity that Donghyuck could never understand.

"Mark," Renjun says sternly. "I told you, just because we went to the same elementary school and I _used_ to have that nickname doesn't mean you get to still call me that."

Mark pauses, gives the three of them the smile that understandably explains why he's so popular amongst the populace, and nods his head apologetically. “Sorry, _Renjun_. But please note I only call you as such from a place of nostalgic affection and not in any way to undermine the autonomy of how you wish to be addressed," he says with a nod. "Anyway, can I borrow $5? Lost a bet to Jeno and I don't have any money."

Renjun rolls his eyes, rifles through the pockets of his culottes, and slaps a bill in Mark’s hand. "Buzz off, Minhyung. Go exemplify the paradigm of rowdy boy-ness that you’re destined to fulfill.”

Mark laughs and quickly thanks him before running off again.

"See? All of you talk like grown-ups,” Jaemin says.

“Hardly,” Donghyuck responds. “Mark and Renjun talk like that for fun. They’re weirdos.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” Jaemin then asks.

Renjun bursts into a peal of laughter that Donghyuck rarely hears. “Minhyung? I’d rather wear a pair of uncuffed jeans.”

“Renjun was in _love_ with a senior when we were freshmen and he still hasn’t gotten over it,” Donghyuck says to Jaemin in an aside, although he hardly lowers his voice. “He’s totally sprung for him.”

“Oh wow, who was he?” Jaemin asks.

“Here’s the kicker. He’s my older brother’s current boyfriend,” Donghyuck reveals. Renjun shoves him in the shoulder. Donghyuck ignores him. “Used to be a dance student too.”

“The rest of them hang out together, but they’re always eating lunch in the hallway by the studios,” Renjun explains, helpfully changing the subject. He points to a group of students sitting under the tree, reciting words to themselves and each other. “And those are the theatre kids. Either always memorizing lines, singing _Les Miserables_ , or being dramatic.”

“I’m one too!” Donghyuck chimes, before turning Jaemin’s attention to the grassy knoll closest to the parking lot, where some content looking kids are discreetly passing a joint. “Those are the loadies. They’re nice, but they’re always fried. Sometimes they’ll offer you a doobie at a party.”

Jaemin nods in understanding before finally bringing his eyes to the coalition of boys hanging about the picnic table. It’s the area to which Mark had returned earlier, the atmosphere of the group being one that could only be described as having “excessive testosterone”.

“Those are the most popular boys in school. Other than us, of course. Most of them are in various sports teams, but basketball’s where its at here,” Donghyuck explains. “Mark and Yukhei are the head bitches there, but they’re too nice to do anything with their authority.”

“Yukhei throws the _best_ parties,” Renjun adds. “He’s probably due for one soon, if you’d want to come with us. We’re always invited.”

“Shit, you guys have _some_ power here, huh?” Jaemin asks with a laugh.

“We’re not bad at all,” Donghyuck says with a shrug. “Do you want to come shopping with us after school?”

“It’s not even a question,” Renjun interjects. “Initiation into the crew, darling.”

 

Jaemin seems hesitant to comb through the aisles of the boutique like Donghyuck and Renjun, their hands expertly sifting through garments like they were born to do it. As far as Donghyuck’s concerned, he was. But Jaemin doesn’t look at all enthusiastic about this, and it’s stressing out his new friends.

“Everything okay?” Donghyuck asks amiably. Jaemin nods his head, but when stared at a little longer, relents.

“Alright, this is all a bit overwhelming,” he admits sheepishly. “I don’t know where to start. I don’t really pay much attention to clothes or anything, if I’m being honest.”

“Would you be opposed to having us make you over?” Renjun asks, the beginnings of a mischievous smile forming on his lips.

“How drastic?” Jaemin responds with caution.

“Nothing too bad. Some zhooshing is in order, but nothing outside of your comfort zone,” Donghyuck says, taking a step forward and gently combing his fingers through Jaemin’s hair. “How would you feel about a lighter shade though?”

Renjun also approaches him and tugs the fabric of his shirt sleeve. “Also maybe some better fitting clothes. You would look great in something that wears tighter to your body, although that denim jacket of yours is pretty cute too.”

“Um, sure,” Jaemin says with an apprehensive nod.

“Oh, yes!” Donghyuck hops with a giddy laugh, clutching the tartan vest in his hands closer to his chest. “Just you wait, Jaemin. You’ll be popular in no time.”

Jaemin repeats the word _popular_ to himself, like it’s one he’s just learned and needs to remember. The nod he gives back to his two friends is hesitant, but Jaemin has a bright smile on anyway, and Donghyuck grins right back.

 

As soon as the consent is given, Donghyuck and Renjun launch into a full montage-worthy process of turning Jaemin, as Renjun puts it, “From dud to stud—no offence.”

“None taken,” Jaemin says as Renjun paints on another smear of dye onto Jaemin’s hair. “I wouldn’t have thought you to do your own hair.”

“Oh, of course,” Renjun nods. “I’m thinking about going to aesthetician school, actually. Either that or political science. Or maybe painting. We’ll see.”

“And you, Donghyuck?” Jaemin asks. The person addressed is currently making a collage of cut-out magazine photos to create a vision board for Jaemin’s future wardrobe.

“Who, me?” Donghyuck asks coyly. “Not sure yet. I’ve thought about going to fashion school, but the industry is pretty ruthless. I like styling but I’m not sure if I’m so great at designing. I usually only like to wear the outfits myself too, with the occasional makeover.”

“What about something involves helping other people in general? Like non-profit work?” Jaemin suggests.

Donghyuck stares back at him blankly. He wouldn’t consider himself a ne’er-do-well, but he certainly isn’t a do-gooder either. He takes on projects, while often helping others, for his own interest’s sake. It’s not entirely selfish, he doesn’t think, considering he feels genuine satisfaction knowing he’s made better the life of someone else, but his intentions aren’t purely altruistic either.

“Donghyuck’s picky about people. Or the ones he chooses to surround himself with, anyway,” Renjun says as he folds another lock of Jaemin’s hair into a piece of tinfoil.

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s just weeding out those you don’t vibe with,” Jaemin says. “Is that why you’re not dating anyone from school?”

“As if!” Donghyuck scoffs. “I’d never. Jaemin, when’s your birthday?”

“August,” Jaemin answers.

“Well, my birthday is in June, and as someone older, I’m giving you some advice. High school boys just aren’t worth it,” Donghyuck states stoically.

Renjun laughs. “You’ll say the same in college. Mark my works. Just admit no one interests you yet.”

“Perhaps,” Donghyuck says. “Mayhaps.”

Jaemin just smiles back, and they’re silent under the sound of Renjun twisting the kitchen timer.

After the contraption buzzes in thirty minutes’ time, Renjun helps Jaemin wash the dye out of his hair over Donghyuck’s luxurious bathtub, the chestnut colour dripping onto the porcelain. With no warning, Jaemin whips his head up as Renjun turns to get a towel, and Renjun screams as the water hits the front of his shirt.

“This is an Alaia!” he shrieks, dabbing at the fabric frantically.

“An a-what-a?” Jaemin asks and Donghyuck tosses another towel at him.

“It’s a totally important designer,” Donghyuck explains with a laugh. “Renjun’s obsessed, although he should just stick to Gaultier like the rest of us plebeians.”

“Gaultier,” Jaemin echoes. “Right. It’s not like all my jeans are from Old Navy or anything.”

“Old Navy? Is that like, a vintage shop?” Renjun asks curiously, still holding the towel to his chest like a shield. “Donghyuck and I thrift as often as we can too. You can find some really cool pieces at those kinds of places.”

“I don’t shop often, if that wasn’t made obvious enough by the everything about me.” Jaemin’s hair is sticking up in multiple places, still far too damp to be comfortable, but he doesn’t seem to mind the water dripping into the back of his shirt. “Not sure if I’m cut out for the whole popularity thing either. At my old school I just stayed under the radar.”

“It’s no big deal,” Donghyuck assures him. “We use our popularity for good. Don’t we, Renjun?”

“Absolutely,” Renjun agrees. “We actually just set up two of our teaching assistants. It just took some helpful nudging here and there and before we knew it, they had their legs crossed toward each other in the quad earlier today.”

“That’s an unequivocal sex invite,” Donghyuck says. “Soon enough they’ll be holding hands in the parking lot and going on full-on dates. Ain’t that sweet?”

“Very sweet, I guess. I’ll believe it when I see it though,” Jaemin says as he runs a towel roughly through his hair. The new colour does look good on him, not that Donghyuck ever expected otherwise. It’s Renjun who decided on it after all—Renjun, who once dyed his hair a surprisingly flattering shade of red even after Donghyuck advised against it.

“You look good,” Renjun comments as Jaemin’s newly dyed locks start to dry. “With this and the outfits we bought yesterday, you’ll blow all those bitches away on Monday.”

He startles when Donghyuck plugs in the blow dryer and points it at Jaemin’s head.

 

The following Monday morning, Donghyuck leaves his house ten minutes early. He’s making two stops before school today. The first is Renjun’s place, as usual, where his friend hops into shotgun wearing an entirely red patent leather ensemble.

“Won’t you be hot in that?” Donghyuck asks. He’s wearing his favourite pair of Miu Miu sunnies—he considered donning his white oval goggles but figured he didn’t need them for the clout.

“Uh, I am _am_ hot in this,” Renjun says with a laugh. “How far does Jaemin live?”

“Not too far from school, but on the opposite side of us,” Donghyuck says. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in that part of town before.”

“Did you MapQuest it?” Renjun asks.

“Of course I MapQuested it. I’m not an idiot,” Donghyuck scoffs, pressing his foot on the gas. The car idles in place.

“You forgot to—“

“I _know_ ,” Donghyuck says through gritted teeth as he changes the gear shift into reverse.

 

As soon as Jaemin plods out of his front door, Donghyuck and Renjun let out the same-toned whistle of surprise. He looks even better than either of them could have imagined. Maybe it was the shy-footed reluctance of Jaemin in the dressing room or in Donghyuck’s auburn dye-stained bathtub that had held him back. Right now, however, he looks confident as he steps out of his house, admittedly much smaller than Donghyuck or Renjun’s, but much cozier-looking.

The power of a makeover is so strong that it even surprises the very people who wield the strength to unleash them, Donghyuck realizes. Sure, he had given Jaehyun a tucked shirt and mild contour here and there, but Jaemin _really_ looks phenomenal. He looks happy, most of all, and it’s what’s throwing off Donghyuck and Renjun, although not in a bad way.

“Hey buds,” Jaemin says casually as he drops his knapsack into Donghyuck’s backseat. He’s the same, it seems, and perhaps the outward change is a greater impact on the two who caused than who’s been affected. “My ma almost gasped when she saw me. Said she’s never seen me so put together. So, thanks, I guess.”

The little cheeky smile he throws in lets Donghyuck know that there _has_ been a change after all, just far subtler than he initially observed. Jaemin looks happy in what he’s wearing, or rather, he looks happy and his clothes help that stuff out. Damn. Donghyuck really did #That.

“How are you liking the new look?” Renjun asks amidst some coughing. He’s far too shocked himself. The dye job is impeccable.

“It’s gonna take some more getting used to, but I’m digging it. Felt excited to get dressed, even, but I had to wear my converse. They’re too comfy,” Jaemin says sheepishly. “That’s okay, I hope.”

“It’s totally okay, honeycomb,” Renjun says with a smile, before turning to Donghyuck. “We better haul ass if we don’t want to be late.”

“Shit,” Donghyuck says as he starts up the engine once more. Jaemin laughs, and it’s a sound that Donghyuck thinks about the whole way to school.

 

The atmosphere is entirely different as the three of them step onto the quad. Donghyuck’s used to the stares directed towards himself and Renjun most mornings, but he can tell that the attention is divided, perhaps unevenly, in favour of Jaemin today. It makes Donghyuck beam with pride, although Jaemin seems timid about it.

“People are looking,” he whispers to Donghyuck, who responds by linking their arms together and merely leading him further up the walkway.

“You’ll get used to this too,” Renjun murmurs back, daring to shoot a smile to Mark’s group of friends.

“I heard from Eunbi that Yukhei’s throwing a party soon,” Donghyuck whispers, throwing a glance towards the same direction as Renjun. “Expect an invite, Jaemin.”

“This is a lot at once,” Jaemin says with some nervous laughter. “I just wanna get into homeroom first. Mr Moon’s so strict about tardies.”

“Oh, I hear that. Be off, my child!” Renjun pats Jaemin on the shoulder, earning him another laugh as Jaemin begins to speedwalk away into the building.

“There goes our little baby,” Donghyuck sighs, putting an arm around Renjun. “Off to destroy people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> been a little creatively burnt out lately ngl but i'm going to finish up my wips best i can before school starts again since i'll have to actually slow down when it happens lmao ♡ also i'm not sure how long this is going to end up so we doing ? number of chapters for now
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/ten7s) | [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/idlesong) | [wip list](http://sihyun.carrd.co#wip)


	3. Chapter 3

No, Jaemin hadn't gotten used to all of the new attention, but he wasn't opposed to it either. It makes him feel like he fits in, at least, which is an incredible feat for a mid-year transfer at a school like this. Donghyuck and Renjun's lunch table is usually crowded as it is, but everyone already knows what the two of them allow others to know about them. Jaemin, however, is a new enigma they want to decipher. Renjun tells the gawkers to shoo so they can enjoy their lunch period in peace.

In Donghyuck's professional opinion, Jaemin is a cutie with a nice laugh and an impeccable dye job. He's happy that his new friend is happy. Even more so after Jaemin disclosed to them that the only reason he stayed under the radar at his old school was because the bullying was brutal. God, the mere idea made Donghyuck furious. Jaemin is a darling as far as he knows, and even had a sharp tongue on him too. It's one of the reasons why his addition to Donghyuck and Renjun's duo-turned-trio feels as right as it does.

It's been a long time since Donghyuck’s let someone into his life in this large of a capacity. The last occurrence was when Jaehyun became his step-brother, and even then Donghyuck did his absolute pre-pubescent best to make Jaehyun’s life hell until he crumbled against Jaehyun’s impenetrable defence of being a kind and willing friend during that trying time. When such abrupt changes happen in his life, Donghyuck has trouble finding his balance, thrown into disorientation to what doesn’t make sense.

Jaemin becoming such a good friend shouldn’t make any sense either, but it worked out regardless. It hadn’t taken much time at all for things to find their place. Maybe it was because Donghyuck had been a willing instigator of it, of letting someone new into his life. Ugh, when did his become such a sentimentalist?

He means, it’s not like he _dislikes_ the fact that Jaemin’s become so intertwined in his daily life that he has wordless invitations to all of his and Renjun’s usual traditions, like their current after-class early-supper at the diner right by school.

"Why are you having a grilled cheese if you're lactose intolerant?" Jaemin asks Renjun from across the checkered tabletop.

"Because life is all about the present, my dear Jaemin," Renjun says with a simple nod. "Also it's okay because I take soy milk in my tea. It balances out."

"Whatever you say," Jaemin says with a grin.

"Oh my god, shush for a sec," Donghyuck interjects softly, jutting his chin to a place behind them. The other two turn their heads to look in the same direction, and they both gasp.

Ten and Jungwoo are sitting in a booth in the corner, far from any other patrons of the diner. Their privacy seems to be giving way for their unabashed laughter, the smiles on their faces as wide as they’ve been for weeks now.

"I love seeing the fruits of my labour," Renjun sighs fondly. “Even if it is kinda corny that they’re sharing a milkshake.”

"I'm a god of love, it's confirmed," Donghyuck proclaims. "Cupid is shaking."

"I wasn't involved but I'm just happy to be a witness," Jaemin says with a nod.

"Has anyone caught _your_ eye?" Renjun asks coyly, hiding his smirk behind his tea cup.

"No, not really. I can't say I'm all for putting myself out there,” Jaemin says.

"No need," Donghyuck quickly interjects. “Like I don’t mean to be a traitor to our generation, there’s hardly any boys at our school that are worth the trouble.”

"What about someone in Yukhei's crew?" Renjun suggests. "Like...Jeno! He's a sweetheart."

Donghyuck knows Jeno. He _is_ a sweetheart. Really friendly and has a smile that makes everyone swoon, not that he would ever take note of how effective it was against the masses. He’s a basketball player like most of his friends, but better known for being part of the contemporary dance team adjacent to Renjun's ballet one.

Jeno is a very good person, probably vied after by many, although the ruthless social hierarchy of high school would only allow for a few to have an actual chance. Despite only having been around for a few weeks, Jaemin would definitely be included.

For whatever reason, that doesn't sit well with Donghyuck. Maybe it's a sense of protection he feels towards Jaemin, having nurtured him since his arrival, but Donghyuck knows he wants the best for him, although he isn't sure what that is.

"I'm sure Jeno's nice and all, but I don't even know him," Jaemin says before taking a sip of his ice cream float.

A familiar beeping goes off. Donghyuck and Renjun automatically reach for their respective pants’ pockets to find their pagers, the latter having been the one to receive the message. He gets up with a roll of his eyes to walk over to the counter, asking the waitress behind it to use the telephone.

“That’s Mark, I’m sure,” Donghyuck says. “He probably pages Renjun more than I do.”

“Cute,” Jaemin snorts, stirring his ice cream further into his root beer. “Do _you_ think I should be checking for Jeno, or whatever?”

Donghyuck shrugs. “I dunno. It’s up to you. He’s a nice guy. I don’t really care either way,” he says.

Jaemin’s shoulders lower at Donghyuck’s response, but his expression doesn’t change. “I guess,” he mumbles.

“Mark is going to drive me up a wall,” Renjun declares as he slides back into the cracked leather seat. “I don’t why it was _so_ important that I call him so he can invite us to Yukhei’s party when it’s a given that we’d go or, god forbid, he talk to me in _person_.”

“What, and leave the threshold of his jock table? I don’t think so,” Jaemin comments. “He only seems to do that when he needs to borrow money.”

“Money he has yet to pay back, may I add,” Renjun frowns.

“So he’ll cover our beers at Yukhei’s,” Donghyuck says. “It all works out, and benefits your two bestest friends too.”

“Yeah, Injunnie,” Jaemin adds.

Donghyuck laughs as Renjun lobs a grilled cheese crust at Jaemin.

 

Shuhua is applying a fresh coat of lip gloss when Donghyuck climbs into the backseat of Yuqi’s Plymouth laser, where Renjun and Jaemin are already sat. Being the designated driver was off the table tonight—even completely sober he’s certain he wouldn’t be able to navigate the complicated route to Yukhei’s out-in-the-woods cul-de-sac.

“Cute outfit,” Yuqi says, glancing at Donghyuck through the rearview mirror. “I’ve been thinking of getting a similar jacket for ages.”

“I took this from my brother’s closet before he moved out,” Donghyuck admits with a laugh. “My rationale was that he wasn’t utilizing its full potential.”

“Did he agree?” Shuhua asks.

“Duh,” Renjun says. “Look at my Hyuck. He’s glowing even in this black satin ensemble. The differentiation of texture with the leather layer? Exquisite.”

“And look at my Jaem,” Donghyuck continues, “Stunning in this mustard-coloured button-up. Paired with those well-fitting slacks? Absolute knock-out.” He and Renjun look at Jaemin expectantly.

“And uh, Renjun’s also wearing clothes,” Jaemin says.

Shuhua laughs. "I like him," she says. "He doesn't take things as seriously as you two."

"Donghyuck and I take things _incredibly_ unseriously, thank you very much. How dare you suggest otherwise?"

"Tell that to the shoes you were screaming about yesterday," Shuhua retorts. "A little rain won't hurt you, Injunnie."

"They were _suede_ and—Stop, did Mark put you up to that?" Renjun asks in a huff.

"He didn't mean to, he just called you that once and I thought it was cute."

"The absolute cutest, Injunnie," Donghyuck adds in a saccharine tone.

There's a sudden absence of the orange shine of streetlight, a momentary cover of darkness as they pass through a tunnel before the motion light for incoming vehicles flickers on in greeting. Yukhei's neighbourhood is ridiculous in its immensity, his house the biggest in the vicinity by far.

It's especially ridiculous considering he lives in the place alone, his parents back in Hong Kong ten months out of the year for work. Donghyuck's been here more than a few times but he has yet to explore it all. Yukhei has the good sense to rope off the staircases leading up, leaving the ground floor and basement to be a more than adequate area to lose your mind in a very secondary student fashion.

The host is right at the door to greet them with back-crushing hugs as they enter. “Thanks for coming out!” he chirps, extending an arm further into the house. “There are drinks in the kitchen and Mark’s in the basement, Renjun.”

“And I care why?” Renjun asks with a raised brow.

“Aren’t you two tight?” Yukhei looks confused, and Donghyuck doesn’t blame him. Few truly understood whatever friendship existed between Renjun and Mark. Donghyuck certainly doesn’t understand, and he’s fairly sure Renjun doesn’t even have a full grasp on it himself.

“We’ll see you inside, Yukhei,” Donghyuck says instead, giving the upperclassman a smile as he gently pushes his friends forward into the corridor.

The living room just ahead is already packed with people, and it’s surprisingly crowded despite them having arrived relatively early. Yukhei must have had a more open invitation policy this time around. The music’s coming from somewhere further down, possibly in the basement, but the speakers are powerful enough to force raised voices in order to communicate.

“Whoa, this place is killer!” Jaemin comments as he takes it in, eyes flitting to the gently trembling chandelier above them. It’d be a nerve-wracking sight if Donghyuck hadn’t seen it withstand worse, like someone taking a leap off a rolling bar cart to try and swing from it. (They didn’t. They’re lucky they only earned a bruised shoulder and a lifetime ban from Yukhei’s parties.)

“Isn’t it? It’s amazing that it hasn’t been completely destroyed yet!” Renjun shouts.

“How do the cops not get called within the hour?” Jaemin asks in disbelief.

“The houses on this street are too far apart for anyone to pay attention to each other,” Donghyuck surmises. “Also it’s not like it’d stop Yukhei from throwing another party. He’ll find any occasion for one.”

“His generosity knows no bounds,” Jaemin says amusedly. “I’m gonna grab a drink, you want anything?”

“Nothing strong. I have to help my dad repot the plants in the morning,” Renjun says with a sigh.

“Same here. Not looking to be messy tonight,” Donghyuck says. Jaemin laughs and bids them farewell for the moment.

“So, I was thinking we should introduce Jeno to Jaemin tonight. Thoughts?” Renjun’s already smiling at the idea. Despite his initial hesitance to take on Donghyuck’s out-of-nowhere makeover project of Jaemin it’s been sweet to see how fondly Renjun’s taken to the auburn-haired boy too.

Except Donghyuck doesn’t know if his own affection and affinity for Jaemin would extend to a matchmaking endeavour. He’s not sure why he feels opposed to it, considering it makes logical sense to give it a chance between those two. Who was he to stand in the way if it made sense?

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Donghyuck says with a nod, shoving down any apprehension he feels far further than he thought he would have to.

Renjun grins and hurries off towards the basement, surely to find Jeno amongst the other partygoers before Jaemin gets back. Except Jaemin beats him to it, returning with a drink in each hand, and a third held in one of Jeno’s.

“Hey, Donghyuck!” Jeno chimes with a smile that could revive an injured songbird.

“Jeno noticed me struggling to hold all our drinks so he helped me out,” Jaemin explains, prompting Jeno to extend the red cup in his hand to Donghyuck. “Awful nice of you. Thanks again.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Jeno replies. Donghyuck takes a sip of his drink and grimaces at how sour it is.

“Hey, Hyuck—Nevermind,” Renjun says, quick footsteps halting to an immediate stop upon returning to the vicinity. “Hey, Jeno. I see you’ve met Jaemin.”

“Just a couple minutes ago,” Jeno says. “You just transferred, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Jaemin nods, a smile shyly forming on his face. “I didn’t know that was public knowledge.”

“I don’t have my ear to the ground or anything, but word gets around,” Jeno says. “Especially when it’s about these two. It’s a scandal if Donghyuck debuts a beret, or so I’ve heard.”

“Obviously,” Donghyuck laughs. “My berets are iconic and deserve attention.”

“Remember the one you had in kindergarten with your name monogrammed onto it?” Renjun asks with a grin. “I think you should bring that look back. _That_ was iconic.”

“I imagine you could pull off a lot of things,” Jaemin says with a nod. “It’s thanks to these two that I’m not in the same pair of jeans every day.”

“Your threads are real nice,” Jeno says. “But for what it’s worth, I think you’d look good regardless.”

“Thanks. I like your kicks. How do you keep them so white?” Jaemin asks.

“I never wear them to practice,” Jeno admits sheepishly. “Plus I got good at keeping my stuff clean because my cats shed everywhere anyway.”

“You have cats? I had one back home but I had to give him away when I moved,” Jaemin says. Jeno looks legitimately saddened by the statement.

“I have a photo of mine!” he says excitedly, retrieving his wallet from his pocket. It’s flipped open to reveal a polaroid of Jeno’s three cats looking incredibly startled by the flash photography. Jaemin coos, and makes a comment about how cute they are.

This is a good time, Renjun must think, to kick Donghyuck in the shin. Donghyuck makes a sharp noise of pain, bending over to clutch his leg.

“Shit, Donghyuck! You got a charley horse?” Renjun exclaims in mock surprise. “Let’s go into the backyard and I’ll massage that for you, honeybun.” Hauling Donghyuck away by the back of his shirt, Renjun gives the other two a fond smile. “Don’t wait up, dears,” he says as he walks towards the back of the house.

He shoves his way through a few inebriated teenagers in the process, shouting his pardons in a manner entirely contradictory to his words. It’s a little too chilly for anyone to be idling outside, but Renjun hauls Donghyuck there anyway, all despite the latter’s protests.

“Way harsh,” Donghyuck complains as he stumbles out into the cooler night air. “And tug on my shirt some more, why don’t you? You _know_ this is satin!”

“Chill out, you know I’d steam-iron that for you in a second.” Renjun grabs his friend’s shoulder. “More importantly, did you see those two vibing? They’re sprung on each other.”

“I dunno,” Donghyuck says, retracting his arm from Renjun’s grip and smoothing out the poor, wrinkled fabric. “They were certainly standing next to each other.”

“Mark my words, they’ll be an it-couple in no time,” Renjun sighs, falling back into the bench-swing behind him. “God, we’re good at this.”

Is Donghyuck wrong for not seeing what Renjun is? Jaemin and Jeno only exchanged a couple words, it’s not like either of them got down on one knee. Donghyuck turns his head to see the two of them continuing their conversation on the other side of the window. He doesn’t need to be close to remember how Jaemin sounds when he laughs, but he sure would like to know what Jeno’s saying that’s so _frickin’_ funny.

“Wasn’t Jeno’s nickname No-Jam Jeno?” Donghyuck asks, falling into the seat next to Renjun. He can’t stand looking through the window anymore.

“Still is. Doesn’t mean he’s not a really nice guy,” Renjun says before glancing at Donghyuck suspiciously. “Are you not about this?”

“No!” Donghyuck immediately says. “It’s just, you know—“

“Renjun, there you are!” Mark’s head is poking through the doorway, a relieved smile stretching across his lips. “I’ve been looking for you for ages.”

“I wasn’t trying to be found,” Renjun replies simply. “What do you want?”

“To talk,” Mark says. “Can you?”

Renjun, exasperatedly seeking some support, turns his head to Donghyuck, who shrugs in response. “I’ll leave you be if you need the privacy. I can entertain myself.”

“Really decent of you,” Mark says thankfully as Renjun sputters in protest. “And Yukhei says you should come hang inside if you wanna.”

Donghyuck nods and heads back in, purposefully making a beeline for the basement so he can avoid crossing the living room and witnessing what other hilarity Jeno is causing for Jaemin. At the bottom of the staircase, Donghyuck promptly bumps into another body, to which he quickly apologizes before realizing its owner.

“It’s okay, man,” Yukhei says with a wide grin. “You having fun?”

“Yeah,” Donghyuck says, mustering up a smile. “Great time as always, doll face.”

Yukhei looks pleased to hear that, shuffles awkwardly in place without a reply until he manages to get out the words he’s been wanting to say. “So, uh, we’re friends, right?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Donghyuck says, unsure of where this was going.

“You ever think about us going together?” Yukhei then asks, a shade of pink rising in his face. “Doesn’t have to be nothin’ serious. We could just grab a milkshake sometime?”

These propositions are nothing new to Donghyuck, although he’s only made to politely brush off the admirers as nicely as he could in the past. The strange mood he’s been in tonight has left him reeling, for whatever reason, and maybe that means he should be doing something differently. With Yukhei standing (looming, really) in front of him, quietly expectant for an answer, maybe Donghyuck should take that as a sign. It makes sense.

“Yeah,” Donghyuck says. “I’d really like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [nervous laughter] hi i fell off and i'm not /back/ but i'm around and haven't forgotten about this )-: that being said sorry it's been a wait! hope you're all doing well uwu
> 
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/idlesong)


	4. Chapter 4

As of late, the world has been a tad off-kilter. Nothing in Donghyuck’s life is particularly _wrong_ , but things don’t feel particularly right either. It’s not like he would have been able to predict a month ago that he’d be in the passenger seat of Yukhei’s Mini, a car almost comically small for someone of his height, getting a ride home after their third date. So far they had gotten a milkshake, gone to the arcade, and held hands during a movie.

“It was pretty scary, huh?” Yukhei asks, glancing over at Donghyuck.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” Donghyuck replies, distracted by his own thoughts. “You’re not too good with horror, are you?”

“Was it obvious?” Yukhei asks sheepishly. Donghyuck wants to say yes, very, because you got startled during the trailers, but he doesn’t want to embarrass him. It was almost cute to see him get frightened.

“Nah.” There’s a lot of things on his mind right now, and maybe it’s not his place to talk about them with Yukhei, but he’s almost certainly one to know more. “Say, has Mark talked about Renjun at all lately?”

Ever since Yukhei’s party, Renjun had been fairly despondent, but he wouldn’t admit it nor say anything was the matter if either Donghyuck or Jaemin said anything. It almost certainly had to do with what he and Mark had talked about, but Donghyuck didn’t want to pry. Being his best friends didn’t mean Renjun wasn’t allowed to have his own secrets. Still, Donghyuck had grown worried about his friend.

“Not really,” Yukhei says. “Mark’s been kinda quiet lately though. Did they fight?”

“I don’t know what they’d fight about. I don’t even know what they talked about, ever.”

“You know, me neither,” Yukhei says, brows drawing together in thought. “I just assumed they were just childhood friends. Like, they only talked for nostalgia’s sake.”

“Yeah, it’s strange,” Donghyuck hums, an entirely unnatural segue to a topic he wasn’t necessarily ecstatic to hear about but antsy to know about. “And, uh, do you know if Jeno’s been talking to Jaemin at all?”

Donghyuck knows for a fact that the two of them became friends at Yukhei’s and considering Jeno wasn’t really close with Donghyuck nor Renjun, Jaemin’s friendship ran separate from the one he had with them. That was fair and valid—it’s not like Donghyuck had to know everything about Jaemin—but he _was_ curious. And perhaps Jeno spoke about it himself.

“Why, are you trying to get them to go together?” Yukhei asks.

“Kinda,” Donghyuck lies. “They met at your party and seemed to hit it off. But I don’t know if they’re like, close.”

“Jeno’s mentioned his name once or twice, but he just said he thought Jaemin was a swell guy,” Yukhei says, then, with a little grin on his lips continues, “you sure like to matchmake. What’s your forecast for us?”

Donghyuck laughs, the sound a little more forced than he would have liked it to be. “I think you’re sweet, Yukhei,” he says, because that much is the truth.

“I think you’re sweet too, Hyuck,” Yukhei says fondly as he pulls over to a stop in front of Donghyuck’s house. “I’ll see you at school?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you,” Donghyuck says, making to get out of the car. He plants a quick peck on Yukhei’s cheek before waving goodbye, an uncomfortable feeling burning in his stomach as he walks through the doorway. There’s also an uncomfortable feeling on the right side of his thigh, but he quickly realizes that’s only his pager.

“Finally,” a voice on the other side of the call says when Donghyuck dials their number. “I’ve been trying to call you all week.

“Sorry, I’ve been having a weird one. What’s up, Jaehyun?” Donghyuck asks, having shut himself into his bedroom to make the call. “Isn’t your spring break soon?”

“Yeah, I’ll come back once midterms are over,” Jaehyun says. “How have you been?”

“I feel like ralphing,” Donghyuck says with a frown.

Jaehyun laughs. “Can’t wait for you to tell me all about it.”

 

“Geez, I missed a lot. You need to call me more often and catch me up,” Jaehyun says, a touch of concern in his voice. Donghyuck had been explained it all—meeting Jaemin, the makeover, the surge in popularity, the maybe mismatched matchmaking, his confused feelings towards Yukhei—and it was hard to believe it all happened in such quick succession.

“Sorry, I’ve been busy wondering what’s wrong with my emotions and their constant flux.” Donghyuck’s words are partially muffled from his belly-down position on the floor, face buried into the rug that he hopes was recently vacuumed. “I should be trying to encourage my friend to go for it, right? If I think it’d work out and things would be good for him?”

“I mean, yeah. But you’re also not obligated to think people are good matches for each other just because they’re both nice,” Jaehyun says. “You usually put a little more thought into it than that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but maybe it’s also because I’m worried that Jaemin will get hurt. You should’ve seen him when he first rolled up, he was just totally clueless, and I know Jeno’s a really nice guy, really one of the nicest, but I don’t want him to get hurt because I had to see Renjun get hurt too with the whole Sicheng debacle, and even that was bad enough when Renjun had no chance anyway—“

“Before you run out of breath, I’m gonna cut you off,” Jaehyun says, and Donghyuck being forced to pause makes him realize he really was forgetting to breathe between all those words. “You care a lot about people you love, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but you also have to trust that they’re strong enough to handle what they’re dealt with. You might have had a hand in nudging your friend towards that guy, but that doesn’t mean they’re gonna fall in love or anything. They’ll figure it out themselves, you don’t have to take responsibility for the whole process.”

His brother’s right, and Donghyuck’s a little sad to admit it, if only because he wasn’t able to come to such a conclusion himself. Being so close to this whole situation, being too in his own head about it, had been clouding his judgement.

“Also, about Sicheng,” Jaehyun continues, coughing into his fist. “Do you mean to say Renjun had no chance ‘cause Sicheng was _so_ into me, or?”

Donghyuck snorts. “Let’s not pretend like you didn’t spend the better half of your senior year trying to get Sicheng to notice you,” he says. “And let’s also not pretend like it wasn’t entirely thanks to me that he finally did.”

“I’d never suggest otherwise, buddy. Sicheng says he misses you too, by the way.”

“Why doesn’t he come with? It’s not like we don’t have the room.”

“He’s got projects to work on so it’s easier if he stays on campus to be near the studio,” Jaehyun sighs. “I already miss him.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Donghyuck says. “I’m never gonna be all mushy like you.”

“You might surprise yourself. You’re already a lot warmer than you were before,” Jaehyun says. “I bet I’ll be able to tell a difference as soon as I walk through the door.”

Donghyuck scrunches up his nose. “As if!”

 

Donghyuck? Warm? The idea made him laugh. It’s not that he would consider himself to be unfriendly or impolite, but he’s always been cautious of the people around him. He always wants to be sure that people like him for _him_ , and no other reason, so there’s no need to let people in so quickly unless they find it worthwhile to actually get to know him.

It was a petty thing to still think about, but he could never quite get over the time when he overheard the kids in his elementary school talking about how they only liked Donghyuck for all the toys he’d bring to play with during recess. Otherwise he was kind of weird, wasn’t he? Laughed too loud and acted like the boss of everything. They wouldn’t talk to him if he didn’t have all the things he did.

Then it happened again, having to watch his mom’s partners one after another coo at Donghyuck in adoration until she left the room. He was only a prop to be admired to impress his mom, and even then, how could he know that these people really loved her? What if they just wanted her things as well? He wanted to protect her too.

It was lonely, just him and his mom for a while, especially with the latter always being so busy with work. Apparently it was going to get better, he was supposed to feel happy when Jaehyun and his dad moved in, but what did he even know about them besides the fact that he was to call them family? Jaehyun, thankfully, was resilient in his attempts to befriend Donghyuck, but that had been a process not many people would have tolerated either.

And Renjun. They had met in their first year in middle school, after Donghyuck had learned of the game others would play regarding his friendship. He kept his home life a secret, didn’t invite anyone over or bring anything new of his to school. It felt ridiculous to hide those small details, but he had to take precautions. Renjun, apparently, was the same way, he realized when, en route to school, the car passed a magnificent house from which Renjun was exiting. There was a fountain right in the front yard, a figure of a cherub angel carved from marble with the spitting image of Renjun.

Protecting himself wasn’t the only priority, but it had become a necessity. Donghyuck didn’t want to face the kind of loneliness other people could inflict upon him. And on the day Jaemin walked into their gym period looking timid and nervous, Donghyuck resolved he would make sure Jaemin couldn’t feel that way either.

 

“How are things?” Donghyuck asks the next day during lunch. Jaemin and Renjun both look at him, and then each other.

“Which one of us are you talking to?” Renjun asks, pouring an unreasonable amount of balsamic over his salad.

“Either of you. Both of you. I wanna know what’s up with my friends lately,” Donghyuck says.

“Things are fine, Hyuck,” Jaemin says. “Um, I got an A on my math test.”

“Really? That’s so great, Jaemin. I’m so happy for you!” Donghyuck chirps.

Renjun looks at him strangely. “Is everything okay? You’re acting weird.”

“Can’t I be happy for my friends?” Donghyuck asks. “Jaemin, have you been talking to Jeno lately? Are you feeling those sparks fly?”

Jaemin snorts. “You’re really acting weird,” he reiterates. “If you _must_ know, Jeno and I are hanging out this weekend, but I don’t think it’s a date or anything. We’re just going to see that new horror flick.”

“Oh, I saw that with Yukhei yesterday,” Donghyuck says.

“Ooh,” Renjun interjects. “Date number three? Did you kiss?”

“No,” Donghyuck says flatly. “We held hands because he got scared during the movie.”

“Damn, nothing spicy happening at all with you,” Renjun grumbles, stabbing his fork into his salad. “Might as well all be single.”

“As far as I know, we _are_ all single…Aren’t we?” Jaemin asks, raising an eyebrow. Renjun shrugs.

“Well, I wouldn’t consider me and Yukhei to be going steady, but I guess three dates means something,” Donghyuck says.

“Basic multiplication tells us that that means three times as much,” Renjun points out. “You’ve practically got yourself a boyfriend, Hyuck. I never thought I’d live to see the day.”

Donghyuck shakes his head. “I don’t think so, it’s too early to say. But uh, Jaemin, why don’t Yukhei and I hang out with you and Jeno sometime? Could make it feel a little more like a date if we’re coupled off like that.”

“You’d want that?” Jaemin asks quizzically. “You want Jeno and me to go together in that way?”

Donghyuck swallows the lump in his throat. “Yeah, whatever makes you happy.”

“And if this doesn’t work? Then what?”

“You won’t know until you give it a chance, babe. Donghyuck’s been dodging boys left and right since day one but he lets Yukhei in for a sec and bam, power couple,” Renjun says.

“Not a couple,” Donghyuck reminds him. “Just…hanging out.”

“That’s an awfully heterosexual concept. But regardless of what you are, Yukhei’s skipping over here now.” Renjun nonchalantly juts his chin to his right in indication. “Can you hear the cupids singing?”

“Yeah, they’re telling you to shut up,” Donghyuck deadpans. Jaemin snorts.

“Donghyuck—Hyuck, hey, can I talk to you for a sec?” Yukhei asks as he approaches the table, giving the other two boys an amiable smile.

“Take him for as _long_ as you need, lover boy,” Jaemin says with an uncharacteristic amount of snark. (Or perhaps it _was_ characteristic, and Donghyuck just had yet to have more occasion to witness it.)

They end up walking over to the grassy knoll, the area vacant of its usual stoner occupants today. Part of Donghyuck is secretly hoping this’ll be a conversation where Yukhei will say _hey, we gave it a chance and we should stay friends_ just to avoid any more confusion on Donghyuck’s part. And in reply Donghyuck would say _of course, we spent a good amount of time together and I genuinely had fun but just because we look good together doesn’t mean we make complete sense together, right?_

Donghyuck is preparing a facial expression of sympathetic disappointment when Yukhei clears his throat.

“I know we haven’t really talked about what we are, and we don’t have to have that conversation if you’re not ready, but you know I think you’re just great, right? And smart and funny and know a lot about so much. I could probably listen to you talk for hours—er, I didn’t mean to say that part.”

Donghyuck can’t help but smile. How could he not? He’s only known Yukhei since he started high school, but he knows the older boy’s has every given reason not to go out of his way to be kind, but he is. In many ways Donghyuck is glad and thinks he should feel lucky that such a good guy would like or admire him. And Donghyuck returns those feelings, but as of right now, he doesn’t think it’s in the same vein as how Yukhei feels. He sure wishes it was, because it would make things easier.

“That being said, would you want to go to the spring formal with me? As my date?”

Oh. Donghyuck pauses. Not what he was expecting but also, he shouldn’t be surprised that things in his life weren’t working out exactly as he wanted. God, this made his stomach turn. Yukhei looks so earnest in his asking, has all the eager honesty Donghyuck doesn’t have the courage to possess. Is he not trying hard enough?

“Can I…get back to you?” Donghyuck asks, lips curving into a barely-there smile as the words leave his mouth. Stupid, stupid.

The smile stays on Yukhei’s face. “Take all the time you need,” he says with a nod. “Just uh, not too much, if that’s possible? I’d be a total gentleman, by the way. We can talk more about it later—or not—I’ll just see you. Give me a call when you figure things out.”

Donghyuck nods, dumbly, and he spends his walk back to his lunch table wishing he could bob his head hard enough to have it roll off his shoulders.

“So, what’d he want?” Jaemin asks as Donghyuck sits back down. Renjun looks on, just as curious.

“He asked me to the spring formal,” Donghyuck says, hardly able to believe it himself.

“Hyuck! Congrats, that’s so sweet!” Renjun practically squeals. On one hand, Donghyuck is glad to see Renjun look happy for the first time in a while, but on another, Jaemin doesn’t look particularly pleased. Donghyuck wonders whether he should ask about that.

 

Between all of this contrived, quite needless social turmoil and self-loathing that Donghyuck’s made a real damn meal out of, he’s hardly had the time to pay attention to school. He had to work hard if he was going to become whatever he finally decided he would become someday. Whatever it is, Donghyuck doesn’t like to half-ass it.

Unless it’s something boring, like a lot of his homework. Math had especially been kicking him in the heinie as of late. Back before Jaehyun moved out, he was the one to help Donghyuck out with school, but that wasn’t as viable an option anymore. He didn’t want to bother Jaehyun if he could help it, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready to ask his mom for a tutor.

So he asks Jaemin, once Donghyuck puts his dwindling brain cells back together and recalls Jaemin saying he aced his math test.

“Why didn’t I know this earlier? You could’ve saved my ass a long time ago,” Donghyuck says, the wind blowing through his hair as he speeds down the road.

“I just never thought to mention it,” Jaemin says as he observes his reflection in the Jeep’s side mirror. He had recently gone a few shades lighter on his hair, much to Renjun’s delight and Donghyuck’s secret demise. “My parents are both math professors. I guess it comes naturally to me. Plus, they made _sure_ I was always doing well in it.”

“Damn. I wish the same thing worked for me. My mom’s a lawyer and I got a C in debate last term,” Donghyuck says with a frown. He had worn his professional blazer to every presentation and everything! It was the one that wasn’t tartan or sparkly. It had a pink camo print lining but that was besides the point.

Jaemin laughs. “It’s okay, you’re plenty fine at a bunch of other things. Debate can take a backseat. This math test, though? You might want to worry a little.”

“I’m not risking it, no way, not unless I want my mom to start putting my clothes through the shredder. I’d rather she cut off my air supply,” Donghyuck huffs, a shiver running up his spine at the sheer thought.

“You sure are something, Donghyuck,” Jaemin says. Donghyuck tries to ignore the stir in his chest when he hears that. He instructs his heart to shut up and die at any reaction to anything because he can’t find himself swayed by every pretty boy’s nice words, especially when they were a friend.

“You too, Jaemin,” Donghyuck says, and he happens to glance over at the same time Jaemin does. They make eye contact and again Donghyuck tries to will the heat in his cheeks to cool off. Thankfully they’ve finally pulled up to Jaemin’s house and yeah, Donghyuck breaks a little too hard but they both have their seat belts on so Donghyuck’s insurance rates are safe for now.

 

Except Donghyuck thinks he’s endangered something else by crossing into the threshold of Jaemin’s room because he’s swept up in all the things about his friend that he has yet to see. It’s all so endearing that he could puke.

Besides the baby photos hung up on the walls and the acoustic guitar propped up against the desk, the most noticeable thing are the stuffed animals everywhere, all of different size and colours but variations of a neutral-faced lion character making up most of the village. The pièce de résistance is the giant, human-sized Ryan plushie behind the foot of his bed.

Jaemin, after changing into something more comfortable, plops into it like it’s a beanbag chair. Donghyuck, across from him, is in the actual beanbag chair.

Donghyuck hasn’t seen Jaemin _not_ all dressed up in a while and although he does look great wearing everything Donghyuck and Renjun helped him pick out early in their friendship, Jaemin also just looks really good like this. He’s wearing a loose fitting t-shirt with a logo of the university at which his parents must teach, and a burgundy pair of drawstring joggers that Donghyuck would have only worn himself during his #sportsluxe phase.

To top it all off, Jaemin’s put on a pair of square silver frame glasses that Donghyuck’s never seen before. He catches Donghyuck staring after he’s put them on, and before Donghyuck can excuse himself, Jaemin sheepishly explains, “They’re reading glasses. I’m farsighted.”

Somehow that only serves to contribute to the whole boy-next-door vibe Jaemin is currently excelling at resonating. God, Donghyuck’s made a big mistake coming here, hasn’t he?

“So what was your biggest problem? Trig identities?” Jaemin has his own functions textbook open on his lap, his hand combing through the front part of his hair. That crosses the line. Donghyuck needs to leave immediately because it’s become quickly apparent to him that he’s attracted to Jaemin and that this has been the source of his problems for a while.

“Trig…identities.” Donghyuck’s repetition of the words is meek, because even though every fibre of his being is screaming at him to leave the premises he can’t tear his eyes away from how casually handsome Jaemin looks right now.

Thus begins the longest ninety minutes of Donghyuck’s life. He can’t even say he’s getting any help throughout all this because whenever he admits that he still doesn’t understand something Jaemin sighs and ruffles his hair, thinking of how to reword it. That action alone makes Donghyuck want to run for the hills.

“You still have a week until your test, right?” Jaemin asks. “Tell you what, keep going at the practice questions and I’ll come over this weekend and help you study some more.”

“Okay,” Donghyuck says quietly, closing his book. “I have to get going anyway. Gotta help my mom with some stuff before my brother comes home.”

“That’s sweet.”

“So, uh, how was the movie?” Donghyuck then asks, trying to appear nonchalant as he begins putting his things away. He had been wanting to ask all weekend. It had been killing him a little, actually, not knowing whether the not-a-date Jaemin went on turned into one.

“It was good, but not as scary as I thought it’d be,” is all Jaemin says.

“Yeah? Yukhei was practically in my lap the whole time. Jeno do any of the same?”

Jaemin shakes his head. “Nah, we both got through it fairly untraumatized.” There’s a pregnant pause, the reason for which the both of them seem to understand but would be unable to articulate. “He asked me too. About the spring formal.”

Donghyuck freezes. “Did you say yes?”

“I said I’d get back to him,” Jaemin says, and Donghyuck swears there’s a shadow of a smile on his face. “No reason to rush the decision when it’s still a ways off. Besides…There’s other things to figure out too.” He squeezes Donghyuck’s knee, leans close enough that it has to be deliberate. “You should be heading home before it gets dark.”

Donghyuck almost trips getting to his feet, says a hurried goodbye, and spends the entire drive home thinking about how it might not be so bad to drive off a cliff instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: yeah we're just gonna ease back into writing  
> also me: we have midterms and don't wanna do anything BUT write
> 
> narrative wise we are on our way,, i promise,, i think  
> idk let me know what you think! definitely diverging from our source material at this point but that was always the point so [shrugs]
> 
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/idlesong)


	5. Chapter 5

Uncertainty is not a commonplace occurrence in Donghyuck’s life, but he’s learning to cope with it. This might be a consequence of trying to be more emotionally vulnerable, which he supposes he should attempt. It kinda sucks. He doesn’t understand why anyone would do it on the regular.

There’s other things to focus on right now anyway, like his math test and his driving test and the fact that Jaehyun will be home soon and how Renjun is still acting a little strange and how soft Jaemin’s hair looks and well—Donghyuck couldn’t really circumvent _all_ of the distractions, his willpower isn’t that strong. It’s hard not to think and fantasize about his burgeoning feelings for his friend when he sees him all the time.

Jaemin is just being more and more himself around Donghyuck too, which makes him happy as his friend but terrified as a boy who’s trying not to be too heart-eyed. Not wanting to act overtly suspicious in front of him, Donghyuck studied as much as he could before Jaemin comes over to help him again. Last time the pace at which absolutely no information was entering Donghyuck’s head was entirely due to how cute his friend was looking, and he would not like to come off as dumb as he did before.

In that way, Jaemin actually did help Donghyuck quite a lot in preparing for his test, since by the weekend rolls around he’s gone through enough practice problems to feel semi-prepared. Jaemin, too, is happily surprised to see that Donghyuck seemed to retain anything after last time. Admittedly Donghyuck had done those practice problems interspersed with long periods of wondering whether that lingering touch on his knee meant anything. It’s stayed at the forefront of his mind, so prevalent in his thoughts that he can’t even lie to himself about its importance.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Jaemin glances up from his own notes, having been reading them while Donghyuck worked on more problems in front of him. They’re sitting across from each other in Donghyuck’s dining room, having settled into a comfortable silence only interrupted by the sound of pencils scratching.

“Shoot,” Donghyuck says. It had been a bit of a struggle to keep his cool in front of Jaemin lately. Had it been anyone else Donghyuck would have worn his nicest outfits and flaunted about around them, but Jaemin wouldn’t fall for that. He seems immune to it.

(Although, just in case, Donghyuck had worn his black mesh hoodie over an entirely white ensemble. In terms of effect, it did nothing compared to the overalls Jaemin was wearing when he knocked on Donghyuck’s door. Donghyuck almost wants to thank the inventor of overalls, and at this point, he’s happy to give the credit to Jaemin.)

“That day we met…Why did you approach me?” Jaemin asks. “You had no reason to reach out, but you did.”

Donghyuck shifts in his seat. He hadn’t given much thought to it himself, besides the fact that upon one look at Jaemin he concluded that he was someone he wanted to help. “I don’t know. I want to say it was entirely selfless but to be honest I think I didn’t want to see you be alone, because—I’ve been there too,” he admits. “I hope you don’t think I mean you were a charity case or anything. I just, I don’t know, wanted to be a friend.”

“No offence taken. I thought as much. I think you and I have been through more of the same than we realize,” Jaemin says, softly smiling. There’s another meaningful pause before he continues. “I…I really didn’t want to move here. Never liked moving anywhere new, but I had to because of my parents. I never got to settle and actually figure myself out and I’m not saying I’m at all close to doing that, but being here has helped a lot. You—You’ve helped a lot.”

Donghyuck ducks his head, doesn’t want to let his flushed face be spotted. “All I did was get you some nice pants.” He says, trying to laugh the fluster off. “That other stuff was all you.”

“Not entirely. Not to that extent. It’s been different this time around. You said to me early on that you thought things had gotten so predictable, that you knew everyone too well, but I wish I had that same kind of…consistency, you know? Everyone is so sure of themselves. You especially. I don’t know, something about being around you makes me feel like I’m more myself.”

Donghyuck forgot to keep breathing at some point while hearing all of this. His chest feels like it’s going to burst from warmth, along with his cheeks and his head. He really, really wants to hug the boy in front of him, wants to ball his fists up into his shirt because _no, trying to be this strong is an exhaustive performance and Jaemin reminds him that it’s okay to let it all go and take things at his own pace_. And most meaningful to him of all, Jaemin thinks Donghyuck is a good person.

A good person should be honest about how they feel, shouldn’t they? Except Donghyuck can’t bring himself to, doesn’t want to risk the friendship he has with this wonderful, thoughtful boy because Donghyuck’s never been open to anyone that way. What if Jaemin starts to see that Donghyuck isn’t as strong as he makes himself out to be?

“Thank you,” Donghyuck says, softly. Jaemin smiles, nods, and returns to his reading.

 

They act without anything out of the ordinary being said for the rest of their time together, all the way up until Donghyuck’s dropping Jaemin back off at his place for the night.

“But yeah, I’m feeling good about the test. My mom won’t go ballistic on me at least,” Donghyuck retorts. Jaemin laughs.

“Well, I’m glad I could help with that,” he says. “Wouldn’t want you dying on us before the semester’s even over. The drama department would perish without your costuming skills.”

“Quite true. Don’t want Romeo and Juliet looking bland while they die,” Donghyuck says. He’s got to turn off the main road after this stoplight, they’ll be at Jaemin’s in no time, and then he can go home to ruminate on everything that’s been making his head spin. Some more. Again.

“So, did you decide whether you’re going to the spring formal with Yukhei?” Jaemin then asks, and Donghyuck’s grip tightens around the wheel.

He had been trying not to think about that, as bad as he knew it was to keep the boy waiting. Donghyuck’s been fairly curt with Yukhei as of late, hanging out with him on rarer occasion and not being as quick about taking his calls. It’s unfair to him, he knows, but he can’t help but feel nervous.

“Um, not yet,” he responds. “I’m still thinking about it. What about you and Jeno?”

“Same here.” Jaemin exhales. “Are you happy with Yukhei? Or are you only seeing him because…you feel like you should?”

“Are you accusing me of something?” Donghyuck asks with nervous laughter.

“God, no—It’s just that, you don’t really talk about him like you’re sprung on him. Not like the way you talk about anything else.” Jaemin’s not looking at him, and neither is Donghyuck, although he can give the excuse that he’s watching the road, being cautious of other cars as he turns onto Jaemin’s street.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Donghyuck says quietly.

“I don’t like seeing you so unsure. It’s not you.”

Donghyuck’s heart rate spikes, but he stays quiet. Doesn’t say anything for the remaining duration of the ride, can’t think about anything but the fact that he might be letting someone down. (Letting _Jaemin_ down.) When he stops in front of Jaemin’s house he thinks that all they’ll need to do is exchange goodbyes but Jaemin unbuckles his seatbelt and turns to him instead.

“What is it?” Donghyuck keeps his eyes up, only looking forward through the windshield.

“Don’t you know…” Jaemin trails off, and completing the rest of his question in his head gives Donghyuck pause because he might short-circuit. “Donghyuck?”

He keeps his eyes closed a moment, feels a tinge of pain as he opens them again, and gives Jaemin a smile. “I’ll see you, Jaemin,” he says.

Jaemin’s face falls. He gets out of the car without a word.

 

That strange feeling, the one causing his heart’s thrum, remains in his chest for the rest of the drive home. Donghyuck keeps thinking about how Jaemin looked at him, how disheartened he seemed when he left. He would hate to think he’s disappointing him, especially after all that was said earlier. Those words of Jaemin’s are ones he wants to hold close to his heart. He doesn’t want their meaning or intensity to dissipate.

But god, is he afraid, because this is something real. It’s not that Donghyuck can deny the happiness that his interests in material items give him, but those are things over which he can exercise control. Even the occasional makeover on someone else helped him feel like he has some order in all the chaos. Now he’s in the centre of it, and he doesn’t know how to bring himself out.

Donghyuck realizes he keeps putting things off too, hoping that he’d think of a maneuver out eventually. He’s used to being able to talk his way out of anything. An obstacle of his will eventually catch him, force him to confront it right then, and it’s terrifying because he won’t be ready.

One such obstacle is sitting on his porch when he pulls into the driveway.

Yukhei greets him with an easy smile, hands shoved into his pockets, as Donghyuck steps out of his car. It would be a really bad idea to get back in and drive away, right? He has no idea what this is all about, but he supposes it has something to do with the fact that Donghyuck has been giving Yukhei little more than radio silence.

“Sorry if this is a bad time, I tried phoning you but there wasn’t an answer,” Yukhei says. “Do you wanna go for a walk?”

Donghyuck can’t leave it be anymore. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

 

They walk in silence for the first few minutes, heading further into the suburb where it splits off into shorter roads. Donghyuck can feel his palms begin to sweat, because he doesn’t know what this conversation will be about, and what he needs to do to best resolve it. It needs to be had, he’s aware, but he doesn’t know how to begin.

“What did you want to talk about?” Donghyuck tosses the first words, he owes Yukhei that much.

“Um, you, actually. Have you been okay?” Yukhei asks, looking over with concern written into his expression. “I’ve just noticed you haven’t really—“

“Been myself?” Donghyuck’s hands ball up at his sides. He already feels sick.

“I just wanna know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukhei’s so earnest in his asking, and it makes Donghyuck’s feeling of guilt worsen. “I didn’t want to freak you out with the spring formal stuff like, I’d never wanna stress you like that.”

“Yukhei, I’m sorry,” Donghyuck says. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.”

“It’s okay, but if you’re going through something and need your space, I don’t want to interfere. I can be your friend. I am your friend, I hope.”

“You are. I’m glad you are.” Donghyuck unclenches his fists, relaxes his hands, and squeezes one of Yukhei’s. “And, if it’s okay with you, I think that’s all I want you to be.”

Yukhei smiles. “Thanks for giving it a chance. I’d much rather you be happy, though, even if it means you’re missing out on the school’s most gorgeous eye candy as your boyfriend.”

Donghyuck gives him a ridiculous look of disbelief, and Yukhei just laughs. It’s silly, but Donghyuck finds himself laughing too.

“And I’m sorry you don’t get to have the honour of dating the cutest boy at school,” Donghyuck says.

“It’s okay, I’ve already come to terms with the fact that I can’t date myself.”

“With that kind of confidence, you don’t need me gassing you up,” he says. “I think we would’ve overinflated each other’s egos to the point of bursting.”

“Who says I already haven’t done that myself?” Yukhei stops in his steps just then, and turns to speak to Donghyuck face-to-face. “I missed this, Donghyuck. I like you a lot more when you know your worth.”

“I’m working on it,” Donghyuck sighs. “I’ve been tripping.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a short but significant penultimate chapter ;w; thanks for sticking around y'all writing this has been making me so happy lately,, even if i am a little sad for donghyuck during this turbulent time in his life u__u at least he has his extensive blazer collection
> 
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/idlesong)  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

“You forgot to check your blindspot.”

“Shit, sorry,” Donghyuck says. “I mean—heck, sorry.”

The driving test invigilator looks unimpressed. That’s the only expression he’s given Donghyuck the entirety of his test so far, and Donghyuck can’t blame him. So far he’s forgotten to signal twice, driven in the middle of the lane, and scraped the side of a parked car. It’s a bit of a shit show.

Even worse, Donghyuck _knows_ he’s a better driver than this, but all he can think about is how this is the only thing in his life that _should_ be going well in his life but isn’t. It’s no fair at all, how shaky his hands are on the wheel and how confusing distinguishing the two pedals are.

The invigilator, or Doyoung, as he introduced himself in a monotone manner when he got into Donghyuck’s Jeep, has been gripping his clipboard for his dear life. Donghyuck would feel bad if Doyoung didn’t seem like an asshole throughout all this. He’s trying his best!

“Pick one lane and stick to it,” Doyoung says, and Donghyuck swerves a little too far to the right until the dinging of a bell and shouted expletives catches his attention. “This is the bike lane!” Doyoung shouts, and Donghyuck swears under his breath as he turns back to the left.

There’s nothing quite salvageable about this test, but Donghyuck’s determined to see it through to its end. He’s nothing if not stubborn. Doyoung, however, seems quite content to end things here, and by “things”, Donghyuck means “his life”.

“Do you think we should go back and leave a note for that other car?” Donghyuck asks, with nervous laughter. Doyoung doesn’t respond to that.

“Just pull over here,” is what he says instead, and Donghyuck, already knowing what his result will be, does so without complaint.

“How’d I do?” Donghyuck flashes his teeth in an innocuous smile, a last-ditch effort to win the seemingly emotionless man over.

“Let’s see,” Doyoung begins, glancing down at his clipboard. “You can’t check your blindspot, can’t use your turn signal, can’t drive in the right lane, you damaged property, and you nearly killed someone. Amazingly enough though, you’re excellent at parallel parking.”

“So—“

“I’d say you failed.”

“Come on!” Donghyuck whines, a little pathetically, because he could really use a win right now. “Isn’t there a higher-up or some supervisor I could speak to about this? I promise I’m a really, really good driver when I’m not this frazzled but there’s been a _lot_ going on in high school lately and I’m going totally ballistic already. You can’t be the end-all and be-all authority of the DMV, can you?”

“As far as you’re concerned, I am the messiah of the DMV,” Doyoung deadpans. “Now write a note to leave for the car you scratched.”

 

Things are so wrong that it’s driving Donghyuck postal. He’s felt a little icky for days, like he had one too many mocaccinos and needed to ralph. Not that he’d ever have so much caffeine—it’d stunt his growth. It’s been a week since Jaemin’s crestfallen expression has begun to haunt him and since he and Yukhei called it quits. His driving test was just the cherry on top.

Donghyuck doesn’t break the news to his friends, about either new event, for a few days, needing the time to recover from the back-to-back debacles. Well, going his separate ways with Yukhei wasn’t nearly as difficult as the lead up to the decision, and he and Yukhei still spoke with all the same congeniality as before. But the driving test? Such a bummer. The other story gets told first, as per usual, at their lunch table.

Renjun is absolutely torn up to hear about the break up, and injects all the dramatics that the actual separation lacked through his reaction. Jaemin, on the other hand, freezes up, and in an aside asks Donghyuck whether he’s at fault for this.

“Don’t worry about it. It was meant to happen,” is Donghyuck’s response, but Jaemin looks unconvinced.

“Look, Hyuck, I’m really sorry. I don’t know why I said that, it was way harsh,” Jaemin rattles off, and Donghyuck affectionately notes the verbal habit his friend has picked up.

“I told you, it’s _okay_. Yukhei’s a sweet guy, and a really good friend. That’s all I want him to be,” Donghyuck says.

“It’s a travesty!” Renjun cries, bemoaning the first short but turbulent romantic period of his best friend’s life. He dabs at his (dry) eyes with the sleeve of his blazer. “You could’ve had it all!”

“Do you care _that_ much?” Jaemin asks, with genuine curiosity.

“Of course not,” Renjun deadpans, straightening his posture. “I’m happy if Donghyuck is happy. But still, what a loss! This is worse than when Kai and Krystal broke up.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Donghyuck groans. “I had already written up the adoption papers. All they had to do was sign.”

“You two are crazy,” Jaemin says with a roll of his eyes. The moment makes Donghyuck thinks he’s achieved some normalcy in his life again.

That disappears, however, when he and Jaemin lock eyes across the table. Jaemin smiles, and Donghyuck wants to sink into the asphalt. There’s still work to be done, but he has no clue how to get there. There’s been some uneasiness between them since last week, largely ignored when Renjun was around, but they still had yet to talk about the things that seemed to be left unsaid. The things that were about the two of them.

“Oh, Hyuck, did you get your license?” Renjun asks, suddenly remembering the occasion.

“No,” Donghyuck says with a frown.

“Another travesty!” Renjun shouts, far too loudly considering that they’re in the quad, amongst their peers, during a high traffic time of the day. “You’re a virgin who can’t drive!”

“I’m gay!” Donghyuck exclaims in his defence. “We’re all gay! We can’t drive!”

“There’s no need to scream about it!” Jaemin yells.

 

Things might not be as hopeless as Donghyuck thought after all. Whatever weird tension he and Jaemin were experiencing on account of Donghyuck’s fun little downward spiral has since dissipated, Yukhei is but a loyal and cute friend, and Renjun seems to be in high spirits again. He even spiritedly smacked Donghyuck on the shoulder for saying his ballet costume looked like underwear. (“It’s a leotard!” “Says who?” “Calvin Klein!”)

The only disappointing thing, of course, is Donghyuck’s lack of a driver’s license, but he’ll try again soon, and he will not be foiled, even if he must once again encounter what seemed to be the grumpiest driving test invigilator in the galaxy. Although, to be honest, Donghyuck was still dreading the prospect of having to spend that miserable three-quarters of an hour with Doyoung again.

Things are, compared to before, hunky-dory.

That is, until Donghyuck once again realizes the problem still circling the surface of his thoughts like a shark in water—he definitely has some feelings towards Jaemin. It might not be serious, nor birthed from a significant event, but it’s been long enough present that it’s not just a passing feeling.

In dire times such as these he would want to talk to Renjun about it, but Renjun so recently became his usual chipper, albeit drily sarcastic self again. Donghyuck doesn’t want to infiltrate that with his own turmoil. Of course, Jaemin, too, would be a good confidante, if Donghyuck was having any other dilemma than this one.

Having to keep it all to himself is making Donghyuck feel quite helplessly alone, and that’s his biggest fear of all. So he thanks his lucky stars for finally coming home to see—

“Jaehyun!” Donghyuck shouts, seeing him sitting by the front staircase. Jaehyun gets to his feet and walks towards his younger brother, although he doesn’t have a large distance to cross with how Donghyuck is running to practically leap into his arms.

Having barely managed to catch him, Jaehyun pats the top of Donghyuck’s head with a laugh. “Hey, buddy. I’m not great at doing this anymore, you’ve gotten too big,” he says, some strain evident in his voice.

“I’m youthful forever, bitch,” Donghyuck says, voice muffled into the fabric of Jaehyun’s shirt. He begins to say something else, before cutting himself off, an act that Jaehyun notices immediately.

“Are you—Are you crying?” Jaehyun asks, feeling Donghyuck’s shoulders shake slightly.

“No,” Donghyuck whines, before bursting into a contrary sob. “It’s been a really tough time, okay?” He’s embarrassed to be acting this way, but god is he glad that it’s in front of Jaehyun and no one else. Jaehyun, who had seen Donghyuck go through all the troubles and toils of puberty, of the fallout of a divorce, of having to maintain an image of being as strong as he presented himself constantly—Donghyuck is _really_ grateful Jaehyun became his brother.

“Oh,” is all Jaehyun says consolingly, putting a reassuring hand on Donghyuck’s back. It’s all he needs right now, at least until he can pull himself together again by the time the sound of steam is pouring from the kitchen.

“What’s that?” Donghyuck asks, pulling away and rubbing at his eyes.

“Kettle,” Jaehyun says. “I figured you’d want some tea while you spill it.”

Donghyuck is absolutely ready to cry again. He really loves his brother. It takes half a cup of milk oolong to prepare him to divest his burdens.

There’s not as much to catch Jaehyun up on, save the conclusions to the events in Donghyuck’s life that had already been heading toward such ends, but Jaehyun listens to it all with the same empathy that Donghyuck’s always known him to have. This ongoing peril he has about Jaemin, however, is a conversation that he’s only had with himself. Saying it out loud to someone is utterly terrifying, if only because it seems to make the situation real.

“I’m feeling nothing but awful lately, dude. It’s all the indecisiveness. I’m not used to it. I know it’s not bad to feel this way, but I’m not good at uncertainty,” he sighs, palms wrapped around his favourite mug.

“I know,” Jaehyun says. “I’d say it’s an ordinary feeling, but I also don’t think it’s fair to call you ordinary. You don’t process things exactly the same way, and that’s fine, but you’re also not good at being cognizant of what’s really around you.”

In other words, Donghyuck likes to sensationalize. He knows that, although he’s never thought it to be too big of a fault. It just gives the lovely things in his life a little extra sparkle, although he never considered the fact that there are times when these things aren’t so lovely. Before he was delighted to turn a forum into a jubilee, but he didn’t think that would mean turning a little bit of melancholy into a self-composed tragedy.

“So, what should I do then? Just leave things as they are?” Donghyuck asks, because that’s what he really wants to know. “Is taking action worthwhile? Is the risk not worth it?”

“Whoa, whoa. Scale it back down,” Jaehyun says. “You’re thinking too big-picture again. You need to just think about one thing. How do you feel about Jaemin?”

“Strongly.” Donghyuck’s answer only makes Jaehyun laugh, which he admits is a deserved reaction. “Often wistfully too.”

“You know what I mean, you corn nut. I mean, do you care about Jaemin?”

“Of course I do, I love him,” Donghyuck answers immediately.

“Donghyuck!” Jaehyun shouts, so suddenly that it startles him.

“What?!” Donghyuck shouts back.

“Did you just hear yourself?” Jaehyun asks, looking to him expectantly.

“Oh my god, I love Jaemin,” Donghyuck says to himself. The revelation dawns on him like an expedited sunrise, the fields of his mind and heart quickly awash with light. He loves Jaemin. Of course he does. It explains why he felt so uneasy about setting him up with Jeno, why he felt like he was doing something wrong himself trying to be with Yukhei…Neither thing was even close to what he wants.

Donghyuck wants Jaemin, to protect and cherish him, to make him so happy that his smile is a vision and his laugh is a sound that Donghyuck could never forget. It wasn’t immediate when he first laid eyes on Jaemin, but the draw was there.

Standing hesitant and out-of-place that first day, Donghyuck saw part of himself, but the person he sought to find was special in an entirely different manner. Jaemin had been right in saying they’ve been through more of the same than they realize, but that must be why their friendship felt like such a natural intermingling of personalities.

“I can’t believe you haven’t made this realization ’til now,” Jaehyun comments, slightly amused at the eureka-moment Donghyuck is currently undergoing. “You always sounded awfully fond of him over the phone.”

“That’s because he’s worth being fond over,” Donghyuck says with a huff. “I just never considered it to be _this_ severe. I don’t even know how this all came about.”

That interest had always been there, Donghyuck supposes, although it only appeared to be an interest from an observant perspective. Jaemin was the unpredictable factor in Donghyuck’s life when he was bored of it, and had looped him around into revealing more about himself than usual. There weren’t many people capable of that, Donghyuck had made sure of it. Not many people had access to those parts of him that he kept close to his chest, all the fears of being alone and keeping a strong face to protect himself from others.

Jaemin maneuvered his way past the chains somehow, so stealthy in his manners that Donghyuck had no clue. There wasn’t need for concern anyhow, because Jaemin’s intentions were never anything but genuine. Donghyuck needs that kind of assurance in his life.

"Are you done having your epiphany yet?" Jaehyun asks, before proceeding to take a loud sip of his tea.

"No," Donghyuck says, pauses, then seemingly snaps out of his self-conceived trance. "Okay. Now I'm done. Also, I need my car keys."

"Uh, yeah, mom said you're not allowed to drive again until you get your license," Jaehyun informs him. "Need a ride?"

"Like hell I'm letting you drive my car," Donghyuck says with a snort. "Unless—Oh god, Jaehyun, no—"

Jaehyun had saved up for his own car in high school, buying a secondhand station wagon that, while admiring the tenacity of the cause, was a vehicle Donghyuck wouldn't be caught dead in.

Until now, he supposes, as he climbs into the passenger seat without much concern for how the leather upholstery of the seats might run up against his white blouse. His priorities have changed, the most important of which being getting to Jaemin's place _right_ now.

It takes Jaehyun a few tries to start his car, to Donghyuck's dismay, and when the vehicle comes alive, the sound startles them both.

"I know you're saving my ass right now, but you're also ruining my life," Donghyuck says, laying the back of his hand against his forehead.

Jaehyun shakes his head with amusement as he pulls out of the driveway, responding to none of that statement but instead with, "Shut up and tell me where to go."

 

Upon climbing up the stairs to Jaemin's porch, Donghyuck makes the astute observation that he's still in his slippers. Not his nice, shiny Gucci slippers either, but his fluffy pink ones with rabbit ears. They were a gift from his grandmother, and served as a reminder of how well that dame knew him, but also did nothing to contribute to the confidence he could really use right now.

"Whatever," Donghyuck mutters to himself, walking the rest of the way before finding his toes at the front door. He takes one last look back at Jaehyun, car crookedly parked parallel to the other side of the street. His brother gives him a reassuring thumbs-up, and Donghyuck smiles nervously back.

Now or never, the adrenaline of his realization and the momentum culminating into a chance he probably won't get again. He knocks. Someone's voice calls out from the other side, followed by the sound of footsteps. The door opens.

“Hey!" Jaemin says in greeting, looking surprised to see him. "I was hoping you'd be a girl scout. Got any cookies for me?"

"No," Donghyuck says with a sheepish smile. "I've got to say something, though. It's important."

"What is it?"

Donghyuck takes a deep breath. "You're the best person I've ever met. I know it hasn't been long since we've been in each other's lives but no one makes me happy like you do. You challenged me to be honest, and I'm trying my best to do that right now. It took me too long to figure it out but I need you to know that I have feelings for you.”

Jaemin opens his mouth, then closes it again. When he doesn't make to say anything, Donghyuck continues, despite feeling his skin grow pink to the fingertips.

"Like, I'm kind of in love with you. You were interesting from the first time I saw you, and you've only surprised me more since," he says, heart pounding in his ear drums. "Whatever's got me feeling lost for the past minute is all your fault, Jaemin. I've never been this uncertain or unconfident in anything before, because I know as much as I like you, I don't have control over what you think of me. And that's driving me crazy. I'm totally sprung for you."

Donghyuck is sure his face resembles the time he and Renjun got into his mom's makeup in seventh grade and served some absolutely disastrous rouge cheeked looks. It's been a moment since he stopped talking, and Jaemin still looks stunned, any other emotion on his expression otherwise unreadable.

"Well?" Donghyuck says, feeling a tad lightheaded at this point. Maybe this is all some big fever dream after all, and if he pinches himself he'll find himself back in bed, face first in a silk pillow.

"Shit, Hyuck, I didn't expect that," is what Jaemin says, _finally_. "I mean, I really never thought you'd ever think of me that way, considering..."

"Considering?" Donghyuck repeats, ears perking.

"Considering my luck's usually not so good," Jaemin admits, two spots of pink appearing on his own cheeks, and Donghyuck understands this better than anything he's tried to understand for months. "You're really something, huh?"

Donghyuck just laughs, because that's all he feels like doing.

Jaemin laughs too, before seeming to remember something that makes him jolt. "Oh, shit."

"What?" Donghyuck asks with concern.

"Jeno, you still there?" Jaemin asks, and Donghyuck now sees that a telephone receiver and its connected spiral cord has been held in Jaemin's hand this whole time. "Yeah, I know, weird timing, right? I'll tell you about it later. Yeah. Bye."

Jaemin disappears behind the door for a moment, assumably to put the telephone back on the hook and returns with a big, stupid grin on his face. "You'd never believe what we were just talking about."

"Jaehyun and I beat you to it?" Donghyuck asks, using his thumb to point behind him.

"I was about five minutes away from biking to your place," Jaemin says. "Jeno was coaching me through what I was gonna say. Guess I don't have to go through that anymore."

"You could, you know, still say it," Donghyuck says, trailing off into a mumble.

"I was gonna say a lot of the same, and that's not a copout answer either. You're really special, Hyuck. I swear, you never stop surprising me. I never thought I'd meet someone like you. You know yourself so well that I'm jealous. But I like you the most when you know it all too.”

If it’s even possible, Donghyuck flushes even more. “Shut up, dummy, I like you too.”

“I’ve never seen you so panicked,” Jaemin observes with a laugh.

“Apparently you’re _great_ at bringing out that side of me.” Donghyuck rolls his eyes. One minute in, and Jaemin’s already got a stack of leverage against him.

“Can I bother you for one more moment of panic?” Jaemin asks, reaching his hand out to rest on Donghyuck’s shoulder. The touch sends a jolt of electricity up his spine.

“Not if I get to bother you first,” Donghyuck asserts, voice raising in playful challenge. Jaemin grins back at him, nods as though to say he’s free to make the move himself. Donghyuck leans in to close the distance between them, and however off-kilter his world has felt as of late, this moment couldn’t be anything but perfect.

(Besides the fact that Jaehyun starts honking in congratulations, but the both of them try their best to ignore that.)

 

So okay, sometimes even Donghyuck questioned how his life turned out this way. He doesn’t think badly of it at all, he merely wonders how he could have been born into such fortunate circumstances. He has his family, the ginormous house that’s always felt like home, a best friend in Renjun, an ever-expanding wardrobe, the many talents of his he feels more than confident in wielding, and most recently, the smartest, cutest boy in the universe to call his b-b-boyfriend. Not once has Donghyuck taken his luck for granted, which is why he does his best to be a person who reflects the good place he’s from, although sometimes he couldn’t help but be fussy about the smaller things.

“Your tie is stained,” Donghyuck says with a frown, bypassing a greeting to Jaemin who’s just arrived on his doorstep.

“About that…I spilled some coffee on it just now. Please don’t kill me,” Jaemin says with a sheepish smile. “I figured you might have a solution anyway.”

Donghyuck sighs, rolls up his suit sleeves, and nods in resignation. “Of course I do, but still, the nerve to be drinking _coffee_ after three p.m. You’ll stunt your growth!”

“As if,” Jaemin snorts. “You’re the one who’s a shorty, shorty.”

Donghyuck turns his nose up at the comment and huffs, but Jaemin responds to this action with affectionate ones of his own, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and pressing kisses to his head, easily accessible due to their height difference. This only serves to make Donghyuck grumble, knowing he’s defeated, and turn around to give Jaemin a discontented peck.

“Take your shoes off, you heathen. You’ll track mud onto the carpet,” Donghyuck says, trying to maintain his measly defence, although he fails not to crack a smile when Jaemin unceremoniously chucks his shoes off his feet.

“I love it when you wax domestic to me,” Jaemin coos, and Donghyuck, with a roll of his eyes, ushers him in past the foyer. They make their way into Donghyuck’s closet, almost the same size as his connected bedroom, and Jaemin seats himself comfortably on the plush floor as Donghyuck roots through his drawer of ties.

An unexpected amount of time has been spent here since the two of them got together, a smaller corner tucked away from the rest of Donghyuck’s massive house and Jaemin’s cozier abode. It’s where Donghyuck feels most himself, after all, and so it seemed apt to spend their quiet time here, talking idly and drinking tea and doing homework. Renjun was often here beside them, and had been surprised in this very closet when his two friends, with trembling hands and hearts, admitted their relationship just a week after its inception.

(“I’m surprised, but not gagged,” Renjun had said, glancing down at Donghyuck and Jaemin’s clasped hands and deciding to himself that yes, this felt right. “I’m just appalled that neither of you boneheads consulted _me_ about all of your turmoil. I mean, to not seek out the matchmaker right in front of you?”

“You wanted Jaemin to go with Jeno!” Donghyuck protested.

“Well, only because I didn’t think you were interested in the least! How am I supposed to ascertain you had a crush on boy A when you were going with boy B while boy C seemed to be into boy A?” Renjun said in his defence.

“Did you have a fantasy matchmaking league board up in your room or something?” Jaemin asked with dripping sarcasm, but the question effectively silenced Renjun on the topic.)

Donghyuck closes his drawer shut with a huff. Something’s still nagging at him, and he knows exactly what it is, but he feels embarrassed to admit it.

“What is it?” Jaemin asks, and for a moment Donghyuck wonders whether he had voiced his thoughts aloud before realizing the question is likely directed towards the sudden action.

“I’m worried about this. Not about us, but like—what people will think,” Donghyuck says, still facing his dresser. “I don’t want them to think badly of us. Or speculate about us. I don’t.”

Jaemin slowly approaches Donghyuck, doesn’t make to touch him until Donghyuck’s turned around himself and reached for his hand. “Don’t mind others. And besides, no one would think badly anyway. You’re pretty beloved, Hyuck. Renjun and I make up at least three-quarters of that love too, guaranteed. Anyone who thinks otherwise can square up.”

“Thank you,” Donghyuck says, squeezing Jaemin’s hand. “Also, I have no idea how to fix this tie sitch easily.”

Jaemin laughs. “Then don’t fix it easily. You know I’ll do whatever you say.”

Donghyuck’s face lights up. “We’ve still got two hours until the dance. I could think up a whole new look in that time. Are you okay with that?”

“Babe, I trust you to make me look good in a garbage bag,” Jaemin says, raising Donghyuck’s knuckles to press a kiss against them. “Work your magic.”

 

It’d be a lie to say that Donghyuck _hasn’t_ been fantasizing about this moment for a while, ever since the day he had finally been honest to Jaemin. They’re sat in Donghyuck’s beloved Jeep, his license still sleek and glossy in his pocket, Renjun in the back meticulously dabbing on a lip tint. It matches his red suit, black shirt, and white tie, the subversion of colour earning a barrage of approving honks from Donghyuck when he had pulled up to his best friend’s house.

It was a surprise to Jaemin that Donghyuck’s innovative outfits for the both of them only involved pink bowties. That is, until Jaemin realized that their suit jackets had matching metallic inner linings that Donghyuck demanded be shown off further with cuffed sleeves and gold cufflinks. It was a lower-key look as far as Donghyuck’s looks can go, but still had all the chicness of someone who commanded the attention of any space they occupy.

That’s Donghyuck, Jaemin thought fondly, the boy he grew to love a little more with every passing moment.

“I’d be mad at the two of you for not going stag with my single ass tonight, but I can’t be since you’re going together,” Renjun says with a sigh, putting on a pair of red tinted glasses.

“Hush up and admit that you prefer it this way,” Donghyuck says. “Unless anyone else is planning on showing up in a fire alarm coloured blazer tonight you’ll stand out the most.”

Renjun snorts. “We’ll see.”

 

The dance has yet to pick up by the time of their arrival, but Jaemin’s insistence that they show up somewhat _on time_ for once is the cause. Leave it to Donghyuck to already be bending to the will of his boyfriend, who is tugging both him and Renjun by the arms past the gymnasium doors.

It’s not too crowded yet, but it’s actually kind of nice, to be able to stay in their little group for a moment. It gives Donghyuck more reason to admire how Jaemin looks in his suit before the lights grow dimmer. The three of them get some polaroids taken at the photo booth, the last of which features Jaemin giving Donghyuck a kiss on the cheek and Renjun looking on in feigned disgust.

“Real cute,” Renjun comments as he watches the picture develop, before they each pick one to keep themselves. “It looks like it’s finally getting busy, should we go dance?”

“Yes, duh,” Jaemin says with a fervent nod.

“You’re so enthusiastic today,” Donghyuck says as he lets himself get pulled into the crowd.

Jaemin smiles at him, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes that Donghyuck found himself getting better acquainted with as of late. “Of course I am. I get to show you off,” he says, stretching an arm across Donghyuck’s waist.

Donghyuck tries his best not to turn the same colour as Renjun’s jacket, the owner of whom he turns to in an attempt to hide his abashment, but the other boy is gone. “Where’s Renjun?” he asks Jaemin, who looks at him with equal confusion. “He was right beside me.”

“Maybe he got pulled into the crowd?” Jaemin suggests, but upon turning his head elsewhere, he spots their friend near another group of people. “Why’s he approaching Yukhei?”

Donghyuck has no clue. As far as he knows, everyone in Yukhei’s group were going stag, as some show of solidarity with each other (after the shocking turn of events in which both Yukhei _and_ Jeno got turned down by their potential dates, although the latter was more of a platonic offer than anything). It was yet another demonstration of such friendship that Donghyuck couldn’t quite understand, but could admire nonetheless.

Renjun is clearly walking with purpose, and for a moment Donghyuck is concerned that he’s about to fight someone, but he stops dead in his tracks, says something concernedly to Jeno to which he shrugs, and marches away again.

“What was that all about?” Jaemin asks when Renjun returns to them, a sentiment Donghyuck echoes as he draws closer to Renjun.

“Nothing,” Renjun says, his voice stripped of any strength. “Nothing at all.”

Donghyuck is about to ask him to elaborate when he hears a booming voice behind him telling him to “break it up, you two!” and for a second he wonders whether from another angle it looks like they’re in a compromising situation. But when he turns to the source of the voice, he realizes Mr. Nakamoto is yelling at another couple behind them, the whistle around his neck being put to good use to inform them to stop making out.

“Holy shit,” Jaemin says, pointing toward the two offenders. “They’re really going at it.”

Donghyuck and Renjun both turn and gasp to see Ten and Jungwoo pressed up against the wall, kissing with such ardour that any onlooker would blush. It takes Mr. Nakamoto physically pulling them apart for them to stop, and although Jungwoo seems to retain _some_ sense of shame in his expression, Ten is grinning the whole time. He tugs Jungwoo’s sleeve when they’re done being scolded, apparently encouraging him to ditch their chaperoning duties altogether.

The three continued observers watch the couple covertly sneak out of the gymnasium, giggling like absolute children the whole way.

“Well,” Donghyuck says, rendered otherwise speechless. “We did it, Renjun. We really did…that.”

“I’d be proud if I also wasn’t so appalled,” Renjun says, his lips stretched into something that’s neither quite a smile nor a grimace. “Those public kinds of displays give me a headache.”

The music cuts out, accompanied by the confused murmurs of students. At the front of the gymnasium, where an elevated stage has been set up for the DJ, Mark is standing at a microphone stand wearing a bright red suit.

“Huang Renjun!” Mark shouts, followed by a collective gasp. “I’m sorry I was a jerk—I didn’t want to go public with our relationship because I was scared it’d change what we have, but I’m not scared anymore. Please take me back!”

“Mark Lee, you absolute idiot!” Renjun shouts back, taking large strides towards the makeshift stage. “You’re a complete fool!”

Donghyuck looks to Jaemin, who’s wearing an expression that’s not nearly as shocked as Donghyuck would have expected. How is he being so calm at a time like this?

“You’ve been right every time you’ve called me a stupid boy,” Mark says, his grip on the microphone shaky enough to cause feedback. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m in love with you!”

Renjun stomps up the stairs, looking like he’s ready to pound Mark into the ground, but for the umpteenth time tonight, Donghyuck is astonished when Renjun grabs Mark by the collar and kisses him.

“Oh my god!” Donghyuck screams, turning to Jaemin. “Are you seeing this? I’m completely bugging!”

“What, you never picked up on it? I thought we all knew and were leaving it unspoken.”

Renjun’s got such a tight hold on Mark’s shirt that the seams might rip. From another side of the gym, Yukhei, Jeno, and company are chanting encouragements.

Donghyuck gives Jaemin a look of utter confusion. “No, I did _not_! I thought…It’s just…Renjun and Mark? This is insane,” he says, still reeling even as he watches Mr. Nakamoto try his absolute best to detach the reunited couple from each other.

Jaemin presses a kiss to Donghyuck’s temple. “Maybe you’re just clueless.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello babes...i am so very sorry that you've had to wait so long for this ending, but as long as it took i really wanted to put all of my efforts into this last chapter and i hope all can be forgiven. this was such a self-indulgent story to write and i thank you all for actually seeming to like it lmao. also thanks @ my friends who continued to pester me to finish.
> 
> obviously i'm not around as much as before but i won't say i'm gone for good! i'll try my best to reply to comments and ccs in a timely fashion from now on,, thank you as always <3 pce out c u l8r
> 
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/idlesong)  
> 


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